An update was given to the States Assembly yesterday by Deputy Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, who is chairing the political oversight group for the Our Hospital project. He said that considerable progress was being made behind the scenes.
He also confirmed that a recommendation for who would design and build the new facility would go to the Council of Ministers in a matter of weeks.
A preferred site is due to be named in July before being put before the Assembly for debate in September.
Currently there is a list of 81 sites, an increase on the 41 previously listed, after the government received 300 submissions for site suggestions following a public consultation for ‘one final sweep’ of the Island.
Senator Farnham said that the ‘highest priority’ for the government was finding a site.
He said: ‘The overwhelming sentiment we all hear – on social media, on the street and from our friends, family and fellow Islanders – is that we should “just get on with it”.
‘We all completely agree.
‘It is essential, of course, that we continue to work collaboratively with our Scrutiny panel so that they can carry out their role in parallel to this process in a way that enables the project to maintain its momentum.
‘There may not yet be a hospital to show you, but the work that has been taking place is significant.
‘As I’ve said previously, it is an ambitious time scale and we are constantly pushing to drive the project to completion ahead of schedule.
‘In conclusion, I do not need to tell Members how important Our Hospital is to the Island and I am sure we all are united by the need to get on with it and deliver the hospital for the people of Jersey.’
Also in his update, the Senator confirmed that a citizens’ panel of 17 Islanders had been put together and had already met three times to work on criteria and questions to ensure the site selection process was impartial.
Draft planning guidance has now been provided by Environment Minister John Young and the design brief for the hospital has taken shape.
Since the last update a health planner has been appointed to identify what will go in the hospital, and according to Senator Farnham the government is approaching ‘one of the most important milestones of the project’.
Following a decision in the site in September, a detailed design and planning application will be put forward, along with a finance business case that will go forward for debate next year.
The hospital project has been dogged by delays following two successive planning applications being rejected for the current Gloucester Street site. This prompted States Members to overturn the decision to build there and led to a new Our Hospital project team being formed.
