31 May 2023
The Ministerial Group overseeing the New Healthcare Facilities Programme (NHFP)
have endorsed the advice provided by clinical and construction experts on a preferred
option for multi-site healthcare delivery in Jersey.
Following focused clinical engagement and an expert evaluation of environmental,
infrastructure, planning, heritage, construction and economic factors over the past
months, the Feasibility Study presented to Ministers concluded that multi-site
healthcare delivery in Jersey is achievable, and provides a number of significant
benefits when compared to the single-site Our Hospital proposals.
The Our Hospital Review and subsequent Feasibility Study have also made clear to
Ministers the need for a comprehensive Jersey Health Estate Programme, to meet the
future needs of healthcare delivery.
Option B, of the two developed and evaluated, has been selected as the preferred
option. It will deliver an Acute Hospital at Overdale in 2028 and will represent the first
stage of the Health Estate Programme.
The two options evaluated by the team were:
Option A
- An Acute (Inpatient) facility at Kensington Place
- An Ambulatory (Outpatient) facility at Overdale
- A Health Village at St Saviour (with capacity for rehabilitation and long-term
care facilities)
Option B
- An Acute (Inpatient) facility at Overdale
- An Ambulatory (Outpatient) facility at Kensington Place
- A Health Village at St Saviour (with capacity for rehabilitation and long-term
care facilities)
The Feasibility Study assessed what is possible in delivering a multi-site healthcare
solution that meets present and future clinical needs. While concluding that both
options are feasible, Option A scored ‘Good’ overall on the chosen evaluation scale,
while Option B scored ‘Very Good’. Option B also delivered all facilities between 2027
and 2030, two years earlier than Option A.
The Feasibility Study has also included the requirements of all clinical services not
otherwise considered in the Our Hospital functional brief. This has allowed Ministers to
better understand the current and future infrastructure needs for Island healthcare
delivery, and to prioritise the delivery of an Acute Hospital.
A full cost model is being developed for the Overdale Acute Hospital, and wider Health
Estate Programme. This Programme will deliver acute, ambulatory, mental health and
other care facilities as a rolling programme over the coming years, spreading capital
expenditure into a series of manageable phases.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore said: “Following expert advice, it was clear to
Ministers that Option B offered the best way forward, having the best score from
clinicians while minimising the impact on patients, and the public, during construction.
It would also ensure that we deliver a much-needed acute hospital facility by 2028,
with the process accelerated through the use of Modern Methods of Construction
(MMC).
“We will now enter a month of consultation with States Members, Scrutiny, the public,
the residents of Overdale, Kensington Place and St Saviour, patient groups, the third
sector, and most importantly Health staff, to confirm our plans before the final
Feasibility study is presented to the States Assembly in July.”
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson said: “It is absolutely
clear that we must deliver on our commitment to the public and health staff and begin
construction of the hospital facilities they need as soon as possible. What the
feasibility study has also made clear is that we need healthcare facilities that are
capable of adapting to the changing needs of the population, built and designed
around the principle of integrated care in order to ensure the efficient and effective
use of our talented workforce and able to deliver the best health outcomes, address
the stigma and isolation experienced by people with mental health problems in need
of acute physical healthcare, and address the needs of children and young people.
“Both options have been developed with clinical and HCS staff engagement, including
from the teams responsible for facilities management and the Ambulance Service. That
engagement will continue during the coming weeks and months so that the facilities
we build are the ones that our staff need and operate best for them.”
The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Tom Binet, said: “I’m grateful to the Programme
team for their dedication and skill in delivering the Feasibility Study Report, meeting
the time commitment set by Ministers at the start of the year.
“Their work has developed a clear report that fairly assesses both options as being
feasible. When it was considered by Ministers, it was obvious that Option B should be
the one we follow. It delivers an acute hospital, sooner and with less impact on existing
patients. It delivers all the facilities that were missing in Our Hospital proposals,
including rehab and step-down care, and does so without the need to make changes
to Westmount Road and the Jersey Bowls Club.”
The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Ian Gorst said: “We are committed to
ensuring that the plans we follow represent the best value for money for Islanders and
mitigate the financial risks of developing a single-site hospital with a single contractor.
“I will be working alongside Ministerial colleagues to ensure that the cost proposals
brought to the Assembly in the Government Plan present States Members with the
most prudent means of delivering multi-site healthcare and provide for the ongoing
work on Jersey Health Estate.”
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