A MOTHER who described conditions on the General Hospital’s children’s ward as “unbearable” during last month’s record-breaking heatwave said she is “disappointed” that promised improvements have not materialised, after temperatures on Robin Ward climbed almost 30°C last week.
Charlotte Machon, who previously urged Islanders to support a petition calling for air conditioning throughout the Hospital after staying on Robin Ward with her baby, said she had expected conditions to improve following assurances from Health leaders.
Instead, she told the JEP she was “disappointed that Robin Ward has not had the improvements they have portrayed in the media”.
A photograph taken on Friday 10 July and shared with this newspaper showed the temperature inside Robin Ward had risen to more than 29°C, despite the Health Department saying portable air-conditioning units had been deployed across the Hospital ahead of this month’s heatwave.
Last week, Health Minister Tom Binet said the Hospital’s ageing infrastructure meant it could never support a full air-conditioning system, but insisted portable cooling units had been installed wherever possible, with “particular attention” being given to Robin Ward.
Responding to the now more than 2,600-signature petition calling for air conditioning throughout the Hospital, Senator Binet acknowledged Islanders’ concerns but rejected suggestions that conditions had become unsafe.
“I recognise concerns about high temperatures and while hospital-wide air conditioning is not feasible, a range of measures are in place to maintain the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff,” he said.
The Health Minister said concerns raised during the Island’s second heatwave of the year were “entirely understandable” and had received “close attention”, but added: “I do not accept the claim that the Hospital is operating in an unsafe environment for patients or staff.”
Senator Binet said he had visited wards across the Hospital during the recent heatwave and had seen “a committed and professional workforce taking practical steps to protect patients, manage the impact of high temperatures, and maintain safe, high-quality care”.
He described staff efforts as “impressive” and said he remained confident that “patient safety continues to be our highest priority”.
The minister said the Hospital was facing the reality of increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat in buildings that were “built for a different era” and were never designed to cope with today’s temperatures.
He explained that the existing buildings lacked the space needed to install the pipework and services required for a modern ventilation and cooling system, meaning “providing air conditioning throughout the whole Jersey General Hospital building is simply not possible, now or in the future”.
Instead, Health and Care Jersey has relied on temporary measures during recent heatwaves – including portable air-conditioning units, a replacement chiller serving operating theatres, relocating patients to air-conditioned areas where appropriate, and providing cold drinks, ice and ice lollies.
Senator Binet said further improvements would continue to be made where possible, particularly in higher-risk inpatient areas, but warned that planning restrictions, electrical capacity, infection-control requirements and funding all limited what could be achieved in the current estate.
He argued the petition underlined the urgent need to deliver the new hospital at Overdale, which he said had been designed with modern ventilation and cooling systems capable of coping with rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves.
“There is only so much that can be achieved through temporary measures and adaptations to ageing infrastructure,” the minister said.
“The long-term solution is the delivery of modern healthcare facilities capable of meeting the needs of Islanders for generations to come.”
