Trust faces legal action over cancelled contract

An NHS trust is facing legal action from the construction firm Rydon after it abandoned a contract for a strategic estates partnership, agreed last winter.

Whittington Health NHS Trust appointed Rydon subsidiary Ryhurst to do the work, but faced local controversy because of the parent company’s role at Grenfell tower.

A trust spokesperson said: “The procurement process is now subject to legal challenge” following action by Ryhurst, and would not comment further.

Ryhurst said: “We continue to be open to discussion with the trust.”

An earlier statement by the trust said it had dropped the planned estate partnership because: “The improved finances, coupled with strengthened relationships with other public sector organisations, means that the trust is now in a stronger position to develop comprehensive plans for its estate in-house.

“As a result, it is no longer necessary to bring in external commercial expertise by entering into a strategic estates partnership.”

It said it would instead “bring in a range of experts, including architects, planners and technical consultants” to develop a comprehensive plan for its estate.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the local MP, and neighbouring Labour MPs Catherine West and Emily Thronberry said in a joint statement: “We welcome [the] statement from Whittington Health that it intends to go ahead with improving its estate using its in-house resources, with assistance from other public sector organisations.

“We are pleased that a wise decision has been made to ensure that the future of all the Whittington premises both on the hospital site and in the community remain in public hands.

“We would like to thank Whittington Health’s senior management for listening to us and to the appeals of the local community and the local councils.”