Fresh calls for clarity on Jersey's Future Hospital Project
An open letter to Jersey's government calls for yet more clarity on the Our Hospital Project. The Chair of the Future Hospital Review Panel, Senator Kristina Moore, has asked the Deputy Chief Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, for more details on a number of key issues.
The Panel says there is still a "lack of information" from the government, and the letter "seeks to be clear about the importance of robust Scrutiny in ensuring that the best possible outcome is achieved".
An update on the Our Hospital work timetable
The letter says the panel are "disappointed" about not being "offered the opportunity" to join a recent meeting which provided an update on modifications of "the access road, showing proposed changes to the original plan". It says it would like to receive the information provided at the briefing as soon as possible.
Government meeting the terms of the Future Hospital Review Panel amendment
The panel want the report to include an obligation for the Council of Ministers to report back to the States Assembly by the end of March on the Outline Business Case, which is due to be lodged in May.
Provision of services at the new hospital
Panelists have asked whether services, which are currently provided free of charge at Overdale, could move to 'user pays' when the Les Quennevais site is in use. It wants the government to provide a list of proposed 'user pays' services.
In addition, the panel has requested a list of services which could be moved out of town once the new site is in use.
The decant of services from Overdale to the former Les Quennevais School site
The panel is calling for an updated timescale and costings for the process of moving services from the current Overdale Hospital site to the site of the former Les Quennevais school. It also calls for Senator Farnham to confirm that services will ultimately be moved to the new site, or if they will continue to be provided at Les Quennevais.
Green and sustainable travel
While the panel welcomes a survey to gather feedback on the planning and design of the new hospital at Overdale, Senator Moore says members are 'concerned' that a plan for sustainable travel was not considered sooner. The panel calls for clarity on what steps are being taken to encourage people travelling to and from the hospital to use environmentally friendly means and questions whether a full green travel plan is in the pipeline.
Engagement with the public
The open letter also criticises the government's 'lack of communication' around the future hospital site, saying it has heard that this is a 'key theme' among members of the public. It says while a public consultation did take place at the time of selecting the site, there was none around the proposed access route to the new hospital.
The panel calls for the government to clarify when it will be engaging with members of the public and stakeholders.
Private patient facility
The panel calls for more information about the costings behind a private area with a 'discreet pathway' for those who are funding their own treatment, expressing concern that it could be using taxpayers money to fund a 'private hospital wing'. Senator Moore has asked the government to provide details on how much it will cost the public purse, how that money will be recouped and how much money the government hopes the facility will generate.
Office space
Concerns have been raised by the panel that valuable space in the hospital could be taken up with administration and office space. Members have asked the government to give more details on how the proposed layout set out in the functional brief for the new hospital would compare with a separate block, with a bridge linking it to the hospital.