Hospital donor withdraws pounds 6m

A donation of pounds 6m, one of the largest made to the National Health Service, has been withdrawn because of its handling of a major project at Guy's Hospital in London, writes Ian MacKinnon.

The request for the return of more than pounds 2m paid out and the cancellation of the rest, comes from Sir Philip Harris, deputy treasurer of the Conservative Party.

The furore concerns Sir Philip Harris House, adjacent to Guy's Hospital, which was to be a computerised wing containing special units, including some offering renal treatment.

Six weeks ago Virginia Bottomley, Secretary of State for Health, disclosed that the wing would not be used for all the purposes originally intended because of the merger between Guy's and St Thomas's.