Newcastle's Dickinson Dees has advised on an NHS healthcare project in Manchester worth a total of £218m.

The firm landed the lucrative dual mandate for Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust after winning out in a competitive tender process ahead of rival bids from Eversheds, Addleshaw Goddard and DLA Piper.

The deal was the first time the Government has used a 'batch-style' private finance initiative for the NHS.

The scheme is designed to save money by enabling two or more public sector bodies to procure work from a single private sector partner.

The deal, which closed last month, will fund a programme of redevelopment at the two Manchester hospitals as well as the construction of new buildings offering modernised diagnostic and treatment facilities. Work is expected to be completed by 2011.

Consort Healthcare, a joint venture between UK construction giant Balfour Beatty and HSBC Infrastructure Fund Management, will oversee the project.

Projects head Tim Care led the team for Dickinsons with support from associates Chloe McSwaine and Helen Coates.

Care commented: "It was certainly an interesting experience working with two clients simultaneously – it took a lot of management and added an entirely new dimension to the work."

Dickinsons has built up an established reputation in national public sector work in recent years.

Elsewhere, Ashurst advised Consort, with London-based energy, transport and infrastructure partner Philip Vernon and project finance partner Patrick Boyle taking the lead roles.

Allen & Overy also scored a role on the deal, with the law firm acting for the funders, Ambac Financial Group.