THE vast cost of tackling the NHS’s growing and dangerous repairs backlog is dwarfed by the tens of billions of pounds still owed under private finance initiative contracts, campaigners warned today.

Some £44 billion is owed to PFI firms, far outnumbering the mounting £13.8bn bill needed to cover repairs, according to a study by NHS campaign group We Own It.

The group found that 78 out of 80 trusts still burdened with PFI debts had already paid off the initial capital investment, the principal amount spent by private firms.

Out of these, 60 could completely clear their repair backlogs with the funds they still owe in extra costs such as interest.

The NHS currently has a £3bn backlog of repairs classified as “high risk.”

One recent incident saw a roof collapse in the intensive care unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex.

Despite paying back a mammoth £32m on an initial PFI investment of just £13.5m, the trust still has to pay another £20.6m. Repairs would only cost £6.1m.

We Own It has published a new league table showing which trusts are being ripped off the most.

They have urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to prioritise this over his plan to rank trusts by performance.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust topped the table, and is stuck paying back £1.1bn — 27 times the initial investment of £40m. 

On average, London trusts face repayments that are 10 times the original investment.

We Own It lead campaigner Johnbosco Nwogbo said: “Wes Streeting is currently being lobbied by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) to sign off on PFI 2.0.

“This would be a disaster for the NHS and future generations of patients and taxpayers. 

“We’re calling on Wes Streeting to reject that proposal and commit to extending the Conservatives’ 2018 ban on new private finance in public services, including the NHS.

“NHS trusts have been ripped off enough. Many trusts are spending more money on PFI debts than on medicines for patients.”

Dr Tony O’Sullivan, co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, said: “Patients and front-line staff are bearing the brunt of astronomical debts, with billions that should be spent on repairs and patient care instead lining the pockets of private companies. 

“This is the true cost of Tony Blair’s ill-conceived PFI deals: hospitals across the country crippled by debt, wards in disrepair, and trusts paying back many times their original investment — decades after the fact.

“Wes Streeting should heed this stark warning. Instead of shaming NHS staff with league tables, he must focus on freeing trusts from this crippling financial stranglehold.

“Every pound wasted on PFI debt is a pound stolen from patients, staff, and the future of our public health system.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government inherited a broken NHS, and Lord Darzi’s investigation found that capital investment has been neglected, with the hospital estate left to crumble.

“We will turn this around, starting with the £26 billion investment made in the Budget.Through our 10 Year Health Plan reforms, we are making sure every penny of extra investment is well spent, so that all patients receive care in buildings that are safe and fit for purpose.”