Contractor successful bidder for new Merseyside hospital deal

Laing O鈥橰ourke has been confirmed as the successful bidder for Alder Hey hospital鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Health Park.

The contractor鈥檚 Acorn consortium 鈥 which also includes John Laing and Interserve and architect BDP - has been selected for the Merseyside hospital鈥檚 拢288m project.

It had been vying with Balfour Beatty for the health park, originally scheduled to open in 2014.

A statement from Alder Hey Children鈥檚 NHS Foundation Trust said it was 鈥渄elighted鈥 to confirm that it had approached the Department of Health and HM Treasury to request Acorn鈥檚 appointment for the redevelopment work.

It added: 鈥淔ollowing approval from the Department of Health and Treasury, it is planned that the secretary of state will officially announce our appointment of Acorn on 1 March.鈥

Concerns over the project had flared in late 2010 with the resignation of consultant project director Richard Glenn, but at the time Foundation Trust chief executive Louise Shepherd insisted that 鈥渆normous momentum鈥 remained behind the proposals and that the new hospital would proceed.