THE era of indecision which has long plagued the government’s attempt to build a new hospital is over, according to the Chief Minister.
Deputy Kristina Moore said that Jersey’s political leaders were determined that construction on a new facility would start within two years – initially focusing on mental-health treatment.
Her comments come after Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet published the results of a review he commissioned into the Our Hospital project earlier this week.
Deputy Binet revealed that the government was abandoning plans for a single-site facility at Overdale and would instead focus on creating a hybrid hospital spread across the existing Gloucester Street site, adjacent land at Kensington Place, and Overdale.
He estimated that the smaller-scale project could achieve a potential saving of around £50 million compared to the previous scheme, which had been forecast to cost £804 million.
In a YouTube video posted by the government, Deputy Moore said: ‘I want to reassure Islanders that the period of indecision which has long plagued the hospital is over. We’re determined that construction will start within two years and we will see the first of the new facilities, focusing initially on mental-health treatment, completed by 2028.’
She added: ‘The review was absolutely clear in its findings. The proposed hospital site at Overdale is no longer affordable. If we go to market with the current plan, it will cost the Island up to £115 million more than the States Assembly has approved.’
Deputy Moore said that Jersey urgently needed new healthcare facilities and ‘affordable solutions that provide the least delay’.
‘The review recommended a phased development over two or more sites, because that offers us the best opportunity for savings while avoiding delays and making sure new facilities can be delivered quickly. The size and scale of the previous scheme wasn’t right for Jersey,’ she said.
‘Building smaller, on multiple sites, provides us with many other benefits. It avoids the risks associated with a large single development, gives us greater control over the timing of construction and allows us to commit to building when it best suits the Island’s finances.
‘It will help to avoid excessive changes to existing infrastructure while offering construction opportunities to local businesses, keeping more money and opportunity in Jersey,’ the Chief Minister added.
