Independent review criticises 'lack of clarity' in Jersey's £130 million hospital plans
There are still "significant gaps" in the government's plans for a new hospital in Jersey, according to an independent review by the island's Comptroller and Auditor General.
Jersey's Audit Office says there has been "a lack of clarity" on how the island's health care services will be provided.
The review is a follow-up to a 2017 report that looked at the government's decision-making processes on how sites are selected for a new hospital.
Over the last 10 years, more than £130 million has been spent by Jersey's government on various hospital projects.
The island's Comptroller and Auditor General, Lynn Pamment, led the review.
She found that the governance approach established for the Our Hospital Project was strong but said the Council of Ministers' 100-day plan was "overly ambitious in what it stated it would deliver":
"It is hard to see how the 100-day review could have been expected to uncover new and meaningful information about the state of current healthcare facilities or future models of healthcare delivery, to help with the decision-making process."
Ms Pamment also found that "there remains a lack of clarity" on the government's ambitions for health services, as well as other gaps in its understanding of capacity needs, opportunities and risks.
Responding to the report, Jersey's Chief Minister, Kristina Moore, said the Council of Ministers "strongly agreed" with the report's findings: “We must learn from the previous hospital projects to ensure that public money is not wasted and that we deliver the right healthcare facilities for Islanders, in the right locations, without further delay.
"I welcome [the C&AG's] report and am pleased that she has noted the governance approach being proposed for the New Healthcare Facilities Programme represents best practice.
"Many of the recommendations she has made have already been implemented. This includes the appointment of an independent member to advise and act as a critical friend to the Ministerial Group on decision making and governance."
Infrastructure Minister, Tom Binet, added: "The 100-day review allowed the new Council of Ministers to undertake a necessary but rapid appraisal of the Our Hospital project and to judge it in light of changing global circumstances.
“I am mindful of the comptroller’s comments that the review was ‘over ambitious’, but I remain convinced that we needed to set out a clear direction for the project team and islanders that we would deliver the facilities they need, while appropriately managing the risks and impact on both our finances and the environment.
“The team have been working hard to meet the timeline that ministers have set, and I will be ensuring they are given appropriate time to develop and consult on the feasibility studies and functional brief, as recommended by the comptroller.”
Karen Wilson, Jersey's Health Minister, said: "Effective and open consultation with clinicians and other healthcare staff is essential to producing a robust functional brief and delivering the healthcare facilities that the island desperately needs.
"I will work with my ministerial colleagues to ensure that while we pursue a strict timeline and cost-effective project delivery, the needs of patients and clinicians remain foremost in the minds of all involved in the programme."
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