ProCure 21 tries to meet schedule - 'Rocking' Millennium Bridge under scrutiny - BT confirms winners of £1bn work bonanza

by Kathy Watson

NHS Estates chief executive Kate Priestley admitted it was trying to get the timetable back on course for implementing its ProCure 21 supply chain management initiative after it was derailed by slowness in selling the initiative to the 500 hospital trusts.

At a meeting last week, health service chiefs conceded they would have to delay implementation because the client base was not ready. They agreed to postpone the advertisement for two partnering pilot schemes from publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities from June to November. Initial shortlisting would follow in February next year with appointments of the two partners for the North west and West Midlands shortly afterwards.

But speaking after the meeting, Priestley said they were determined to bring forward the dates. "Having heard the discussions, I am hopeful that we will be able to improve on that timetable," she said. "These dates are the end dates and we will bring them forward."

Seminars to sell the initiative to contractors and specialists are to go ahead as planned in June and July, kicking off in Newcastle on 21 June, followed by London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bath and Leeds (3, 4, 10, 17 and 24 July respectively).

ProCure 21 will comprise a partnering programme for the whole of NHS's £3bn annual spend on construction. In the autumn NHS Estates will launch its construction charter, setting out the full programme and timetable. The Millennium Bridge faces temporary closure after it started rocking from side to side within minutes of opening.

Six engineers from Ove Arup & Partners carried out tests on the £18m London footbridge and admitted the last span on the southern side needs more restraint.

It has been suggested that shock-absorbing dampers could be clipped under the bridge to stop the swaying.

A spokesman for the Millennium Trust, which commissioned the project, said: "The bridge is not unsafe, but we acknowledge we have got a problem. It could be related to the number of people on it, while the wind could also be a factor. Until the engineers complete their report, we can not say any more."

The rocking began on Saturday when the first of the day's estimated 100,000 users started filing onto the bridge. Reports varied from slight movement to a crescendo of vibration that had people clinging to side rails. Telecommunications giant BT has announced the seven consortia that will share a work bonanza valued at up £1bn over the next four years. The seven network frame contracts cover installation of ductwork and other services across 13 regional business areas.

BT confirmed that it has awarded its Wales region to Wrekin Construction, worth an estimated £64m over four years. The South east region has gone to McNicholas Construction and ARM Services has picked up the North east & Cumbria, North west and West Midlands.

The Yorkshire and Humberside region has gone to MG Telecommunications which is working with Morrison Construction. The contract is for four years with the possibility of a second four-year term bringing the contract value to approximately £120m.

The Eastern, East Midlands, and London regions have been given to Marconi Communications. Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe has won Scotland North, Scotland South and the south west of England.

And the Thames Valley has been awarded to Corning Communication.

The seven suppliers were chosen from an initial tender list of 20. The new contracts will become operational over the next few months. Morrison's inclusion notches up a first for the firm as it has never worked with BT before.

BT will appoint a regional manager for each of the 13 areas whose job will be to co-ordinate the work within the region.