Apparently the Association of School and College Leaders has issued statements highlighting the problems PFI deals are causing schools both in terms of management time resolving issues and cost.
I can't help but wonder how this all came about. When this government came to power it promised to provide new schools everywhere. Well that is fine as far as it goes, and some certainly needed work or replacing but not all did. I can't help but wonder if a headlong rush to build has caused some problems.
However there are other problems with the way PFI schools are working out. In some I have heard of the walls are made of plasterboard and the ceilings are suspended. Fine in an office block but not so good in a school where children will from time to time be a lot rougher with their surroundings.
The BBC has this.
Showing posts with label PFI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PFI. Show all posts
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Hospital not fit for purpose
The latest issue of Private Eye carries the story of the death of a 60 year old patient in a mental health centre in Leeds. He was the fith person to die whilst in teh care of the Becklin Centre.
The man was found on fire in a corridor.
Apparently it is one of three mental health centres in Leeds that failed fire regulations in 2005. Perhaps they need replacing? Well, no they are new build PFI units.
What is worse is that apparently the layout of the unit makes it hard to supervise patients!
This problem is of course not just a PFI problem. Lots of public buildings seem not fit for purpose before they open these days. You have to wonder how they came to be that way. Obviously the architects need some experience of working in these types of building but I suspect a bigger problem is that executives make executive decisions about what is needed with no knowledge or understanding of what the people who will end up working there will do, or how they do it.
Until we find a way of dealing with this sort of serial incompetence we will continue to build facilities that are not fit for purpose.
The man was found on fire in a corridor.
Apparently it is one of three mental health centres in Leeds that failed fire regulations in 2005. Perhaps they need replacing? Well, no they are new build PFI units.
What is worse is that apparently the layout of the unit makes it hard to supervise patients!
This problem is of course not just a PFI problem. Lots of public buildings seem not fit for purpose before they open these days. You have to wonder how they came to be that way. Obviously the architects need some experience of working in these types of building but I suspect a bigger problem is that executives make executive decisions about what is needed with no knowledge or understanding of what the people who will end up working there will do, or how they do it.
Until we find a way of dealing with this sort of serial incompetence we will continue to build facilities that are not fit for purpose.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
NHS burning our money!
Well, certainly it seems to be hemorrhaging cash on an epic scale. According to this report originally in Friday's Telegraph one NHS trust is asking it's workers to do some days for free or consider taking a sabbatical. The reason is that it needs to reduce it's deficit so that it can pay rich bankers lots of money start a PFI new build hospital. Needless to say some staff are up in arms.
However BBC Radio 4's The Today program has been doing some digging. It seems to have been working on the basis that the NHS has been flooded with cash, so if there is a cash crisis some must have been wasted. It is going to be running stories on NHS waste every say at 7.30 AM next week. it will make interesting listening.
Of course the NHS being in crisis is nothing new. You only have to look at stories like this or this from Dr. Crippen's NHS Blog.
If you have any information on how the NHS is wasting money please Email Me!
However BBC Radio 4's The Today program has been doing some digging. It seems to have been working on the basis that the NHS has been flooded with cash, so if there is a cash crisis some must have been wasted. It is going to be running stories on NHS waste every say at 7.30 AM next week. it will make interesting listening.
Of course the NHS being in crisis is nothing new. You only have to look at stories like this or this from Dr. Crippen's NHS Blog.
If you have any information on how the NHS is wasting money please Email Me!
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