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WQ.46/2022
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF MINISTER
BY SENATOR S.W. PALLETT
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 31st JANUARY 2022 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2022
Question
"Further to comments in the Planning Application for the demolition and site clearance of Overdale Hospital regarding the "good usable condition" of the Westmount Day Centre, will the Assistant Chief Minister provide documentary evidence to explain why the Westmount Day Centre –
- is not considered to support modern ways of working and is deemed not sufficient for staff and patients;
- is not conducive to the delivery of modern and future healthcare; and
- could not be repurposed to meet the requirements for future healthcare and aspirations for up-to- date facilities;
and, in the event that rehabilitation services are reinstated at Samarès Ward as a result of the Assembly's adoption of P.115/2021, will he confirm that the demolition of the Westmount Day Centre will not commence until all the services it currently provides, including such rehabilitation services, have been relocated either to the former Les Quennevais School site or to other locations?"
Answer
- The Westmount Centre, although deemed to be in a good aesthetic condition currently, has challenges with the building infrastructure that would need investment if it were to remain a clinical space. Examples of this include, but are not limited to: not having piped oxygen on the inpatient ward, significant overheating of clinical areas in summer months due to solar gain, the need to replace the fire alarm system and also the need to replace all taps and basins to ensure modern water management standards are met.
- In addition to the points made above, although the ward comprises of single rooms, they do not all offer en-suite facilities. The building clinical areas do not meet current Health Building standards as regards size of clinical rooms and width of corridors and have proved to be challenging during the Covid pandemic for infection control reasons.
- The service provision could be modernised, but not without significant investment and an overall decrease in clinical space due to the reasons outlined in (a) and (b) above
As has been previously stated, including in the demolition planning application, no building that is currently in use will be demolished prior to reprovision of the services to either the refurbished former Les Quennevais School or alternative healthcare facilities.