Serco to provide FM at new PFI hospital

Serco to provide facilities management at new PFI hospital 16 May 2006 Serco Group plc ("Serco") today announces that it has been selected to provide support services for the new NHS Forth Valley Acute Hospital alongside Equion. Equion, a division of John Laing plc, has been appointed by NHS Forth Valley to design, build, finance and operate the new PFI hospital at Larbert. Serco's contract is valued at around £450m over 30 years. Services will begin on the new site in summer 2009, with the first patients arriving in autumn 2009. Serco has drawn on its healthcare experience to influence the design of the new hospital, thereby enhancing management of infection control. Innovations include segregation of patient, visitor and goods traffic as well as the introduction of proven robotic technology to support the movement of goods around the hospital site. The new hospital will have around 800 inpatient and day spaces and will provide the full range of district general hospital services. Serco will support NHS Forth Valley in ensuring the highest quality healthcare by providing innovative, efficient support services. These will include ward housekeeping, portering, catering, switchboard, utilities management, reception, waste management, linen, security, car parking and grounds maintenance. NHS Forth Valley Chairman, Ian Mullen OBE said: "By 2009 the people of Forth Valley will have a new, state-of-the-art hospital. The new hospital will be a key strategic asset for the NHS in Scotland. Today's announcement is a key step in our journey to provide modern patient focused health services." Christopher Hyman, Serco Group Chief Executive said: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with the NHS and Equion to improve healthcare services in the Forth Valley. Focussing on patients, we will work together with doctors, nurses and managers to create a hospital of which the local community can be proud. "Innovative design will allow built-in systems to take care of delivering supplies, equipment and laundry, while our portering team will concentrate, with their clinical colleagues, on the needs of patients. This will also provide a better environment for infection control." Serco already provides facilities management services at Wishaw Hospital in Lanarkshire, as well as at hospitals in Leicester and Norwich in England. Serco also provides primary healthcare services including out-of-hours medical response for over a million people in Cardiff, Cornwall and Oxfordshire. Elsewhere in Scotland, Serco has over 1100 employees, providing a range of public services including HM Prison Kilmarnock, marine support for the Royal Navy on the Clyde, and real-time information system for Glasgow's bus passengers. (End) Notes to Editors Serco is an international service company which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos. Serco improves services by managing people, processes, technology and assets more effectively in the health, education, home affairs, local government, science, technology, defence, transport and commercial sectors, in 37 countries. Serco advises policy makers, designs innovative solutions, integrates systems and delivers to the public. More information can be found at www.serco.com. For further information please contact Serco: T +44 (0) 1256 745 900 Richard Hollins, Head of Investor Relations Graham Capper, Head of Media and Public Relations Dominic Cheetham, Director of Corporate Communications

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