BUSINESS support services company Amey has scooped a 155m deal with the Northern Birmingham Mental Health Trust, writes David Duffy.

The group, based at Sutton Courtenay, near Abingdon, won the deal under the Government's Private Finance Initiative, which links private companies with Government projects.

The project involves the construction of new specialist hospital buildings on two sites and delivering management services to the new accommodation and the Trust's other sites.

Amey Ventures is investing in the project while the construction and modernisation of the estate will be carried out by Amey Asset Services. Amey Business Services will provide support services to the hospital for a 35-year period.

Amey's chief executive Brian Staples said: "I am delighted that this project has been brought to a successful conclusion. It is an important project, our first to close in health, which fits neatly into our expanding PFI portfolio.

"This latest success means that we have been involved in the financial closure of close on 3bn worth of PFI activity in the past four months.

"What has become apparent is that Amey's ability to provide a fully-integrated approach has served to set us apart in the market place."

Amey Asset Services will start work on site immediately, with completion scheduled for the autumn of 2001.

Last month the firm scooped a PFI deal to completely modernise Glasgow's secondary schools.

During the next three years many of the existing 29 schools will be rebuilt with the remainder being comprehensively modernised. Amey Business Services will provide full support services to the schools for the next 30 years.

The Oxfordshire-based group, which employs more than 6,000 people, is a fast-growing company, listed in the FTSE 250 league table, and is celebrating its tenth consecutive year of growth.