Jersey's Chief Minister: 'Guernsey did not ask for Nightingale help'

Jersey’s Chief Minister has been forced to make clear his counterparts in Guernsey have not asked for help to cope with any future surge in coronavirus cases, after he said the new Nightingale Hospital could welcome patients from across the water.

Senator John Le Fondré made the announcement in a night time YouTube video where he said he had been asked if he would support Guernsey with bed space.

ITV News has confirmed no Guernsey official had made such a request and the first they knew of it was when one of ITV's reporters made contact with them on Wednesday night to seek clarification.

A senior Guernsey government figure said: “I’m not sure how it would work sending sick people over the water. We’ve got our own plans using existing buildings.”

Today, Senator John Le Fondre clarified his own words.

The new Nightingale Hospital at Millbrook will be able to welcome patients from 4 May, with an initial 60-bed ward. Eventually that will increase to 180 beds and can be expanded to 240 beds.

It was originally presented as additional critical care space, but that was later clarified to make clear it would be a “step down” facility once patients at the General Hospital are recovering.

Guernsey’s government has already created a new Covid-19 unit inside the Princess Elizabeth Hospital and there is capacity elsewhere in the building to create around 70 extra beds if the need arises.

There are currently four people in the PEH with coronavirus and none in intensive care.In Jersey, at the moment 74 of the 197 beds at the General Hospital are in use.