Scrutiny responds to Council of Ministers hospital comments
6 October 2021
The Future Hospital Review Panel has responded to the Council of Ministers' comments on the Panel's amendment requesting to reduce the budget for the Our Hospital Project from £804.5 million to up to £550 million.
The Panel has sought to clarify several points made in the comments paper, including that:
The Our Hospital Outline Business Case:
Is not robust, non-compliant with UK HM Treasury Green Book guidelines for major projects.
Does not justify the scale and scope of the project or include sufficient detail about the demand and capacity of the new hospital.
Does not provide enough detail on facilities management and workforce strategy.
- The Panel has sought a pragmatic approach to moving forward without completely rejecting the project by calling for a reduced budget and reduced borrowing.
- The Panel has not suggested cutting services by a third, as suggested by the Council of Ministers, rather that it revisits its Outline Business Case and produces an appropriate budget which is fit-for-purpose and answers Jersey's needs.
Chair of the Future Hospital Review Panel, Senator Kristina Moore, said: "Following the Council of Ministers' comments in response to our amendment, the Panel wish to stress that, in line with our expert advisers' findings, it is our view that the Outline Business Case for the new hospital is not robust and does not support the scale of the budget proposed. With limited information and evidence throughout the business case, we cannot support the proposed budget and have instead brought forward a restrained budget within which a good hospital for the Island's future should be developed".
