HOSPITAL and prison chiefs have promised people in Wiltshire that the collapse of construction giant Carillion will not affect jobs or services.

The firm, which manages cleaning and catering services at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and maintenance work at Erlestoke Prison, went into liquidation on Monday.

But hospital bosses and Government chiefs said it would be business as usual this week and all public sector services would still be delivered.

A spokesman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where 398 Carillion staff are employed, said: “We have planned in advance for such a situation, working closely with our PFI partners, and our teams are now working hard to ensure services provided by Carillion continue as normal.

“Although this is a developing situation, we fully expect services at GWH to continue as normal for the remainder of this week, and for there to be minimal disruption to patients or visitors.

“Our Carillion colleagues, many of whom have worked with the Trust for many years, are just as much a part of our team as our own staff and, while this may be an unsettling time, we thank them for their continued support.

“We remain in close contact with our PFI provider, which holds the contract with Carillion, and have been given assurances that all staff will continue to be paid as normal.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said that at Erlestoke Prison maintenance and other work carried out by Carillion would still be carried out.

The government has appointed accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers as special managers overseeing the liquidation of the company.

Staff will be paid by the government, through the official receiver.

The Cabinet Office said on Monday: "Government will provide the necessary funding required by the Official Receiver to maintain public services.

"Those already receiving their pensions will continue to receive payment. A dedicated web page and helpline have also been set up for workers who may be concerned or have questions about their personal situation.

Cabinet office minister David Lidington said: “Since profit warnings were first issued in July, the government has been closely monitoring the situation and has been in constructive discussion with Carillion while it sought to refinance its business. We remained hopeful that a solution could be found while putting robust contingency plans in place to prepare for every eventuality.

“We understand that some members of the public will be concerned by recent news reports. All employees should keep coming to work, you will continue to get paid. Staff that are engaged on public sector contracts still have important work to do."