PLANS for a new £451m Royal Liverpool Hospital will continue to progress this summer – despite the threat of the Government pulling its funding.

Hospital bosses have revealed that four private bidding consortia are in the running to build the hospital, and they are in the process of shortlisting the applications.

A final shortlist of two or three bidding consortia should be completed by July.

Royal chief executive, Tony Bell, said last night he was “confident” about the hospital’s future plans, and reiterated how crucial the blueprint is to Liverpool’s economy. It is understood the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) bidders are all major players.

Royal bosses have been encouraged by the interest shown, despite the current economic situation which has seen many consortia withdraw from the market.

The new-build was given the green light on the eve of the election by Labour.However, the Con-Lib coalition announced last month it was reviewing all projects given the go-ahead since January – despite a Conservative guarantee made before the election that the hospital plans would be safe.

Last week, health minister Simon Burns said a final decision on the new hospital would have to wait until the autumn spending review in October.

Liverpool MPs expressed their concern that private companies will not want to wait, and warned the delay could scupper the whole scheme.

But hospital bosses are determined to carry on with the tendering process to prevent holding up the scheme, and ensure the plan has the best possible chance of success.

The project would create a brand new hospital with single, en-suite rooms throughout, a garden the size of Albert Dock and a separate A&E entrance.