Opening of Guernsey Hospital's new Critical Care Unit delayed due to building work overrunning

The opening of a new Critical Care Unit at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital has been delayed due to construction work overrunning.

The department will look after the "sickest patients" and offer extra surgical capacity to meet ongoing demand but officials say extra time is needed to make sure it is fit for purpose.

The first phase of the Hospital Modernisation Programme was set to be completed by the end of autumn 2024, with a new finish date listed as the beginning of 2025.

Guernsey's Health President, Deputy Al Brouard, explains that the facility's complex make-up has caused the delay but adds that structural work is complete and the project still falls within budget.

He says: "All the timelines are our own self-imposed timelines, so there's no critical need that we have to be done at a certain date.

"We'd like to make sure that we do it in a controlled way and we don't rush the last bit.

"There's a few bits of snagging that needs to happen and we'd rather do that properly, one time only, rather than trying to enter the building too soon."

The Critical Care Unit will open with eight beds and have the capacity to increase to 12, depending on how many patients are cared for over the next decade.

Phase One will also see a new Post Anaesthetic Care Unit created with 10 beds.

Lead nurse John Eaton says the project is "really exciting" but adds that they have to ensure it is appropriate for patients before they move in.

He explains: "While the building looks nearly finished, we've got lots of medical equipment to install and lots of clinical testing to do.

"The sickest and most vulnerable patients in the hospital will be cared for here so we've got to make sure it's fully equipped and absolutely safe before we move them."

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