Without access to more detailed accounts than the ones available to the public, it is difficult to come to a firm conclusion about the increase in costs due to the PFI contract. But it is clear that the increase due to PFI is at least £18 mn. This is the increase in rent paid. A further £4 mn might be due to higher costs of buildings maintenance, portering and catering but without access to more detailed accounts it is impossible to estimate this.
Therefore the increase in costs as shown in the NNUH accounts and as a result of the PFI contract is at least £18 mn (see chapter 9.4).
But this is not the end of the story. The NNUH has 987 beds compared with 1207 beds at the two hospitals which the NNUH replaced. As a result, it operates with a very high occupancy rate, is unable to treat all the patients in its catchment area and the Norfolk Primary Care Trust has had to buy treatment from private hospitals in the area. The additional cost of this extra treatment in 2007/08 was at least £1 mn.
This is a cost attributable to the PFI contract since the size of the new hospital was kept low so as to make it appear more 'affordable' in the early stages of the planning process (see chapters 8 and 9.4)
Thus the annual increase in costs due to the PFI contract is at least £19 mn. £18 mn of this is the result of the higher rent and £1 mn is attributable to the restricted size of the NNUH, a restriction itself due to the PFI contract.