Royal Liverpool residents petition on hospital fight

Hospital bosses believe the challenge threatens the project's future

People living near the Royal Liverpool Hospital have started a petition to stop a legal bid against the new planned £451m complex.

Kensington Fields Community Association (KFCA) wants the Keep Our NHS Public campaign to end its legal challenge.

Its application for a judicial review of the use Private Finance Initiative (PFI) cash for the project was rejected, but an appeal is under way.

Spokesman Sam Semoff said the group was disappointed with the petition.

Mr Semoff is named as the applicant for the judicial review on behalf of the campaign, which believes that using PFI cash would leave the region with huge debts.

Falling down

Leaders of the KFCA said the challenge could mean they lose the new hospital and adjoining science park altogether.

"The people of Kensington and adjacent area want a hospital, even if it has to be funded with a PFI," they said in a statement.

"We need and want our new hospital, we want and need the jobs that will come from the science park.

"The Royal will remain an NHS hospital providing free treatment as it does now. How it is paid for is secondary compared to the fantastic benefits of a brand new hospital.

"The existing hospital is falling down, and our big worry is this - if we lose this opportunity we've blown it for a generation."

Mr Semoff said the long term implications of building the hospital with PFI cash would lead to future cuts in services.

"We are very disappointed because we don't feel the people who signed this petition are aware of the consequences of PFI," he said.

"Once the hospital is built they have to service the debt, which means other services are cut to the bone.

"I don't believe the people who signed the petition are aware of that. I can't imagine all they are concerned about is a shiny new building without the rest of it.

"Ten years from now when wards are closed, staff are laid off and they ring a district nurse and they are told 'you can get one in two weeks' they will begin to realise."

The former Labour government approved the new 643-bed hospital in March 2010.

Building work on the new hospital will cost £328m and was set to be funded through Private Finance Initiative (PFI) cash.

The remaining £123m was earmarked on the purchasing of equipment and demolishing the old Royal.