A REVIEW into plans to build the Island’s new Hospital has been delayed and will now be made public on 1 November, the government has announced.
The delay was confirmed by Chief Minister Kristina Moore during a meeting with the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel.
The review was named by Deputy Moore’s new government as one of its key priorities during its first 100 days in office, with Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet being given responsibility for carrying it out.
Under the revised timeline for the review, Deputy Moore said it would now be completed in draft form by 20 October and then subject to ‘final governance checks’ and shared with Scrutiny before being made public and presented to the States Assembly on 1 November.
Deputy Moore said that some of those involved in the review had been temporarily caught up in the aftermath of the death of Queen Elizabeth II last month, and that this had contributed to the delay.
In a statement issued shortly before the end of the Scrutiny meeting, Deputy Binet described the ‘significant progress’ made by the review, including visiting healthcare facilities in Northern Ireland and ‘extensive interviews with key stakeholders’.
Deputy Binet said: ‘The panel has been working hard to research and explore all options thoroughly in accordance with the scope of the review, as it is vital that we ensure new healthcare facilities meet the current and future needs of the Island and are viable in the current financial climate.’
