The Island has paid £1 million for the erection and rental of the 180-bed, 6,500sqm facility for 16 weeks from Dutch firm Neptunus, which was due to complete the first phase of construction on Friday. That agreement can be extended, government officials say, but it would cost more.
Consortium J3, who had been working on the new permanent hospital project, will take on the rest of the work using local contractors, including Camerons, supported by government departments. The military, including the Jersey Field Squadron, are also on standby to assist with manpower.
From Friday night contractors were due to be working at the site 24 hours a day until Sunday to install vital infrastructure. From next week, a stretch of the Inner Road opposite the park is due to be closed to all traffic.
Millbrook playing field is not owned by the government, but it was said yesterday that the landowner had been ‘very philanthropic’ in offering the land for use. The government have an agreement to return the land, in its original state, and tonnes of topsoil scraped off the field is being stored so it can be replaced in the future.
It is estimated that the project will cost £14.4 million in total and the facility is designed to treat very sick patients, but not those who require critical care. It will have oxygen facilities but will not cater for patients needing ventilation – that will be provided at the Hospital.
Andy Scate, acting director-general for the Growth, Housing and Environment Department, said Fort Regent was the first site considered. Other possible locations included the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society’s facility in Trinity and the new Les Quennevais School.
‘Our first thought was existing buildings, as that is what is happening in other locations, but they were either not big enough or they were in locations that were not going to help the Ambulance Service,’ said Mr Scate.
Once existing buildings were ruled out, open spaces within a two-mile radius of the Hospital were reviewed. Sites including the People’s Park, Lower Victoria Park (between the Inner Road and the Avenue), Les Jardins car park and FB Playing Fields were also discussed. But they were ruled out as either too small or for having a gradient that was too steep, which would have led to expensive and time-consuming landscaping.
The Nightingale Hospital, named after Florence Nightingale, is on track to be operational from Monday 4 May.
FB Fields, which the government owns, was the closest choice behind Millbrook playing field but was ruled out, as it was slightly further away and did not have as good access.
Experts say an open-plan facility was required to ensure as few nurses could attend as many patients as possible, as staffing remained one of their major issues.
Because of this, using existing hotels was deemed unsuitable.
The Jersey Nightingale will be split into six 30-bed wards. The site also has its own oxygen-generation facility for breathing apparatus, and an on-site morgue.
