Responding to a letter from Stephen Regal written on behalf of the Friends of Our New Hospital campaign group, who asked for clarity on the plans, Senator Lyndon Farnham said that transparency was essential for Islanders to have faith in the project.
The letter was written amid a backdrop of a dispute between parishioners and the project team over plans to make Westmount Road the main access route for the hospital.
In his response to the group, Senator Farnham confirmed that delays to the construction schedule – due to begin in March next year if planning permission is granted – would have financial as well as health implications.
He said there was no contingency built in for the ongoing capital and maintenance costs of the existing health buildings, should the project be delayed.
‘It is an unfortunate fact that any delay, regardless of the reason for it, will cost taxpayers £100,000 per day and would inevitably impact Islanders’ health outcomes,’ he said.
Senator Farnham conceded that communication for the ‘complex project’ could always ‘be better’ and that the project team were working to improve the availability of information through a wider range of different formats. He added: ‘For a project so critically important to every Islander, transparency is essential and it is my earnest wish, and indeed a priority, to ensure Islanders have access to all of the relevant, accurate and factual information they require.
‘There is absolutely no secrecy surrounding the new hospital. In fact, it is essential for Islanders to be well-informed about this exciting project.’
Senator Farnham said that the project team’s goal was in line with the campaign group’s objective to secure ‘the best hospital and health care system that Jersey can afford to sustain’.
He said the new hospital would offer a wider range of services than what was currently on offer.
‘It will be larger, more modern and much higher quality, offering 67,000sq-m of space compared to the 40,000sq-m currently available. We are designing a hospital that will be flexible and therefore future-proofed for future generations of Islanders.’
He added that the new hospital would be designed to provide more treatments locally, resulting in fewer patients travelling to places such as Southampton General Hospital.
Mr Regal had raised questions over the selection process for the hospital site and delivery partner – to which Senator Farnham said they had both followed a ‘full and thorough’ process.
‘We followed a step-by-step sequential process, free of political input, eliminating unsuitable sites at each stage according to specific criteria,’ said Senator Farnham of the site selection process.
He added: ‘The design and delivery partner was selected following a full and thorough procurement process.’
The project was awarded to a new Jersey company called ROK FCC, which is made up of ROK, based in St Helier, and Spanish firm FCC, which has built hospitals around Europe.
‘We have said from the outset that this project must be clinically-led and in order to maintain that commitment, senior health colleagues visited three hospitals in Madrid that were built by FCC. Their three modern and flexible designs precisely fit with the sort of hospital our clinicians want to see built in Jersey.’
He added: ‘To have a local partner of such quality team up with a global developer of such calibre and experience reinforces our commitment to deliver the best possible hospital for Jersey.’
Earlier this month the project team said they had been left in a Catch-22 situation after parishioners voted in a parish assembly to prohibit ‘intrusive’ work at Westmount Road.
This caused Mr Regal to ask Senator Farnham what consideration and negotiation had taken place with the parish.
Senator Farnham replied: ‘Politicians and professional specialists from the team have engaged with the parish of St Helier and the parish of St Brelade both formally and informally since the project commenced. This will be ongoing and is an essential part of our communication as we progress towards the planning application. We have also engaged with specific stakeholders, including the Jersey Bowls Club and the residents of the Overdale and Les Quennevais areas.’
Senator Farnham said he was grateful for Mr Regal’s engagement and has encouraged the two of them to move forward together for the ‘benefit of all Islanders’.
