Mounting PFI bill

The GMB general union has warned that a £65 billion private finance initiative (PFI) bill for NHS buildings is just a fraction of what taxpayers will have to pay for overall.

Based on an analysis of Treasury data, the GMB said the debt would escalate as private contractors demanded above-inflation returns, with the PFI debt now equivalent to £9,300 per taxpayer.

The union reveals that, despite the £44 billion already handed over for PFI schemes up to 2009-10, the total PFI bill will exceed £270 billion, which is almost five times the value of the assets built.