Very little to celebrate here; PFI initiatives drain the NHS budgets for twenty or more years to ensure whacking profits for the developers, and to keep the expense off the Government's public expenditure accounts. Money is therefore drained annually from the local NHS budgets, meaning fewer beds and other services.

The net result is fewer services in new buildings - but buildings often not as substantial as those they replace

   Always the cynic, but here is three letters for you P F I. You can have "improved" health care facilities, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they will be run efficiently as these schemes are designed to juice as much cash from the tax payer.

What really happens here is Balfour Beatty have taken over Tameside Hospital and then they lease it back to the government for a massive amount of money which secures them a tidy profit. This is nothing more than Labour stealthily privatising the NHS!

It looks like Balfour Beatty are to make a massive swoop for Tameside as they have been eying up the Longdendale Bypass too.

   wow money for all those nice new units... What about money for more nurses, care assistants to staff this wonderful new world.. Also what about a fair pay rise too for those Nurses care assistants ... Oh.. I forgot... they will have the pleasure of working in the new units... Ok ... one more thing will the nurses and Drs be consulted on the new units... for example... . its ok having more one patient rooms... but whos goning to clean thse rooms... also .. if a nurse is in one room... how do they keep watch on the patient in the other room..... Maintaining dignity os ok but patient saftey is also of paramout importance. Especially these days when there are not enough nurse anyway.... What the move away from the nightingale wards........ Nobody complainred in the past... But now money will be thrown at small wards fewer beds more safety concerns.... Come on... what are you trying to do.. prepare the hospital for privatisation..... Thats what this is about not providing a good service. 6 beded bays may be more appropriate.. you can there for have a mixed sex ward without dignity problems. It is also easier for a nurse to monitor problems in this situation. Believe me having to go from room to room and then have an emergency where you are stuck in the room and you cannot see your other pateints is no fun!!!!