1.1 Since 1992, PFI has been the dominant form of procurement for large NHS projects. Of the £11.6 billion of capital expenditure contracted to take place under England's hospital-building programme, more than 90% has come through PFI (Department of Health, 2009). As of April 2009, 149 PFI hospital contracts were signed in the UK, with the NHS England being the biggest procurer in terms of numbers (68%) and capital value of assets (89%) (See Figure 2, overleaf, and Annex Table 1). In England, of the 133 new hospitals which were built between 1997 and 2008 or are currently under construction, 101 were financed under PFI. This accounts for around 90% of the £12.1 billion capital committed (Department of Health, 2008).