As we know, dog is for life, not just for Christmas. This cautionary message could apply equally to the construction industry's attitude to its product: for years it was accustomed to simply putting up buildings then walking away without having to worry about subsequent running and maintenance costs. Then the PFI came along and compelled contractors to start considering those costs, as they would be picking up the costs for them. Indeed, this was seized upon by advocates of PFI because now the consortiums had an incentive to optimise whole-life costs, which in turn meant better-value public sector buildings. Or so the theory went. The reality is that PFI procured buildings have been heavily criticised for poor build quality, notably the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
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