Nightingale Wing opening speech by the Chief Minister

Today marks the transition of this site from a construction project to an operational wing of Jersey General Hospital, ready to assist Islanders should it be required as we tackle the current pandemic. 

I would like to thank the J3 management team and all the partner organisations who have been involved in completing this impressive facility. Your effort and commitment to this vital community project has been exemplary. You have delivered a critical facility within an exceptionally tight project timeline and on budget. 

This facility is a critical part of our Government’s commitment to ensure that Jersey has sufficient healthcare capacity needed to protect the health and wellbeing of Islanders, should the number of local cases of coronavirus rise sharply. 

It will form an important part of our healthcare response to COVID-19 and will provide greater resilience as we start to move gradually through the levels of Jersey’s Safe Exit Framework. 

This building will not be here forever. And as we overcome this global crisis both this facility, and the Stay at Home measures, will be scaled back appropriately. Island life will return to a new normal. 

But we willl not forget the skill and effort of the team who built it, and the dedication and care offered by the healthcare staff who run it. 

Thank you. You will now see a short video summarising the construction of this structure and how we intend to run this site in under Jersey’s Health and Community Service.