Hospital: ‘Every day’s delay costs tens of thousands’

Hospital: ‘Every day’s delay costs tens of thousands’

Expressing a desire to ‘get the thing done’, Senator Ian Gorst made the comments at a live-streamed virtual public meeting in which he and Chief Minister John Le Fondré, alongside Treasury Minister Susie Pinel, answered questions from the public and discussed how the Island would rebalance its finances under the 2021–2024 Government Plan.

Towards the end of the proceedings, one Islander asked if the £800 million hospital project, for which Overdale has been approved as the preferred site, should be delayed as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Despite displaying his frustration at the anticipated cost, Senator Gorst said that any extra delay would only end up costing millions more.

‘It’s a massive amount of money. As much as I might not have wanted to, I have always voted to get the thing done,’ he added.

Although he acknowledged that the site-selection process had been controversial, and that there were still Islanders who believed a better site could be found, the Senator maintained that pressing on with the current choice ‘as painful as it is’ would serve the Island better in the long run.

‘The point is every day that we delay, and I do not like £800 million, let us be clear, I’d much rather have spent £500 million five years ago, but we are here, and every day we delay and don’t get this done is another tens of thousands of pounds and every year we don’t get it delivered is several more million pounds,’ he said.

‘I’ve been robust in the Council of Ministers because it puts pressure on our existing resources and we know we have the challenge of Covid and then you’ve got this added pressure of £800 million – but we just have to get on and build it.

‘There is no ideal site in Jersey and anybody that says that there is is kidding themselves and kidding everybody else. It’s just going to cost more if we don’t go with it,’ he added.

Senator Gorst made the comments after Senator Le Fondré said it was vital that there were no further delays to the project, which will be funded through borrowing.

‘At the end of the day the more you delay the more expensive it will get.

‘The reason you need a new hospital is essentially because of the predicted future state of the existing one,’ he added.

‘You will end up spending a lot more money on the existing hospital and still have to replace it at some point in the future. One of the crucial things that this Island enjoys is a very good standard of healthcare and what we want to do is keep that going.’

A planning application for the new hospital is expected to be submitted next year, and it is hoped the facility will be opened during 2026.

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