Serco Australia has won a $4.3 billion 20-year contract to provide facilities management and support services at Western Australia’s new flagship hospital when it opens mid-2014.

The State Government announced the deal with the London-listed company, which also runs the detention centres on Christmas Island, in a move that has several unions, including United Voice and the Health Services Union, up in arms at the privatisation of hospital services.

Under the deal, Serco will provide about 30 different services ranging from fitting out the Fiona Stanley Hospital to catering, cleaning, linen, security, energy and utilities, estate and grounds maintenance, sterilisation and health records management.

Serco will also recruit all clinical staff while WA Health will continue to employ doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

The 783-bed hospital, which also includes 140 beds in the new State Rehabilitation Service, will employ about 3000 people.

The deal includes technological innovations ranging from a centralised scheduling service giving patients a choice of appointment dates to bedside patient entertainment systems. The systems also enable patients to order meals and provide clinicians access to patient records.

Health Minister Kim Hames said Serco had a wealth of experience running high quality support services at public hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Serco Group CEO Christopher Hyman said Serco had a proven global track record of providing quality non-clinical services at major hospitals caring for millions of people.

“We look forward to supporting our customer in providing the best possible care and a world-class experience for patients.”