Midland Met Hospital contractors want costs paid
Two construction firms considering bidding to complete a stalled hospital project have told NHS trust bosses they want £1 million costs associated with the bid paid for if they are not successful.
Balfour Beatty and Keir say they want costs to be underwritten if they are not chosen to finish the work at the Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick.
Both were among five firms that attended an open day held by the trust to find a replacement contractor for Carillion, which was carrying out work on the hospital before it collapsed last year.
The two firms appear most likely to bid for the work, according to a new report. Kier is thought to be be preparing a bid, however Graham Construction and Skanska, which had been linked to the job as it has taken on other ex-Carillion projects, are not thought to be in the running.
A report said Balfour Beatty was 'expect(ing) bid costs of circa £1m to be underwritten in the event that they are not successful' while Kier had also 'raised the issue of bid costs and underwriting should they be unsuccessful'.
Balfour Beatty has been carrying out repair works on the £475m hospital, which is around two-thirds complete, after it was left untouched for nine months last year. Trust chiefs now need to bring a builder on board to complete the job.
It comes after it was revealed last month it could take around a year before a permanent contractor is chosen. The Midland Met was initially due to open at the end of 2018 but is now scheduled to launch in 2022.
Meanwhile, the report also revealed project chiefs had begun drawing up plans to include a hotel on the site as well as improving access from the new hospital to Smethwick Rolfe Street train station.
