THE largest health union is calling for a public inquiry into a controversial new NHS hospital built with private money.

Unison wants the Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the decision to build the new University Hospital of North Durham with private rather than public funds.

The union claims that the decision to build the 489-bed hospital in Durham City as part of the private finance initiative (PFI) has imposed a crippling financial burden.

Recently, hospital bosses admitted they have too few beds to cope with demand.

Yesterday, The Guardian increased pressure on the North Durham trust by alleging that a series of problems had plagued the hospital, including:

A doctor having to ring 999 for an ambulance to move a patient from part of the hospital to another because porters were not available;

High temperatures, causing discomfort to patients;

A generator failure which plunged operating theatres into darkness.

The House of Commons Health Select Committee is due to investigate the North Durham project as well as another PFI hospital in Carlisle.

Steven Mason, acting chief executive of North Durham Health Care NHS Trust, admitted that there had been "teething troubles", but firmly rejected the idea that the hospital was short-staffed as a result of the PFI deal.

Mr Mason said the doctor who called the ambulance was a family doctor based at the out-of-hours GP centre at Dryburn Hospital. Twenty-four hour patient transport had now been extended to cover the GP centre.

High temperatures were due to the fact that windows cannot be opened due to a possible risk of infection during demolition work. Temporary cooling has been installed. The allegation that a generator failed was "completely inaccurate".

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "PFI has allowed the NHS to embark on the biggest hospital programme in decades."

Related story:

New hospitals, old problems.