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STATES OF JERSEY
NEW HEALTHCARE FACILITIES PROGRAMME
Lodged au Greffe on 27th June 2024
by Hospital Review Panel
Earliest date for debate: 10th September 2024
STATES GREFFE
2024 P.43
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion −
- to request the Council of Ministers to bring forward a standalone proposition seeking the States Assembly’s [in-principle] approval of the funding proposals for delivery of Phase 1 in respect of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme in order that the funding proposals may be debated before the Draft Government Plan 2025-2028; and
- to request the Council of Ministers to ensure that, prior to the debate of any proposition in which the States Assembly’s approval of the funding New Healthcare Facilities project is sought, the indicative costs associated with future phases of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme are presented to the Assembly.
HOSPITAL REVIEW PANEL
REPORT Summary
This Proposition seeks to ensure that the States Assembly is provided with a separate, in-principal debate on the funding proposals for delivery of Phase 1 (‘Funding Proposals’) of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme (‘Programme’), prior to the States Assembly debate on Government Plan 2025-2028.
Background
The Hospital Review Panel has decided to bring this Proposition following confirmation from the Minister for Health and Social Services that he will not bring a separate, standalone Proposition, on the funding proposals, and that these will instead be incorporated into the Government Plan process. [1]
The Panel is concerned that the Government Plan process means that the funding proposals will not receive sufficient levels of scrutiny by the States Assembly. Furthermore, the Panel is concerned that the Government Plan itself will not contain sufficient detail about the funding proposals and what these will entail. The Panel believes it is important that the States Assembly is provided with an opportunity to debate the funding proposals separately from the Government Plan, and that Members are provided with sufficient levels of detail to inform their decision making about Phase 1, as well as future phases of the Programme.
This Report will therefore address the Panel’s decision to request that the funding proposals are debated separately, as well as the additional information that the Panel has requested the Minister for Health and Social Services to formally put before the States Assembly for its consideration.
Debating the Funding Proposals
The Government Plan sets out the funding position for the Government, including income and capital and revenue expenditure. The Government Plan explains the financial context in which the Council of Ministers is taking action to address economic and political challenges, investments in Government priorities and the sustainability of Public Finances. [2]
On 14th December 2023, the States Assembly approved the Government Plan 2024- 2027 (P.72/2023). The Government Plan 2024-2027 proposed a ‘phased approach’ to delivery of the Programme, and the 2024 programme of work included a commitment to, inter alia, “bring forward a standalone Proposition to seek approval for delivery of Phase 1 of the programme and its financing”. [3]The Panel understands that the funding proposals will therefore ask the States Assembly to approve additional funding, to the £52m already approved in Government Plan 2024-2027, to deliver Phase 1 of the Programme in 2024.
However, the Government Plan process means that a significant range of topics and priorities across the Council of Ministers programme of work are addressed and debated by the States Assembly. The last Government Plan 2024-2027 resulted in, inter alia, 33 amendments to be considered and debated by the States Assembly.4 The Panel believes this means that the incorporation of the funding proposals into the Government Plan process, will afford less time and therefore reduced scrutiny of them by the States Assembly, when contemplating the information provided about the Programme in Government Plan 2025-2028.
The Panel therefore believes it is important that the commitment of the previous Government, to bring forward a standalone Proposition and facilitate a separate in- principal debate on the funding proposals is carried forward by the current Government. Furthermore, the Panel believes it is important that a separate debate on the funding proposals takes place prior to the States Assembly debate on Government Plan 2025- 2028.
The Panel does not believe that a separate debate prior to the Government Plan will lead to delay. In fact, the reverse is the case. If there are successful amendments, then the government will have time to adjust their plans accordingly before the Government Plan, whereas successful amendments passed during the Government Plan debate will then have to be dealt with after the plan has been debated.
The indicative costs associated with future phases of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme.
The Government Plan 2024-2027 sets out the ‘Capital Estimates’ for Healthcare Facilities in Jersey from 2024 to 2028, with a combined total Capital Estimate of £710m:
- 2024: £70m
- 2025: £112m
- 2026: £179m
- 2027: £314m
- 2028: £35m5
However, the Panel is unclear about the information that has informed the Capital Estimates for the Programme to date, which includes Phase 1, as well as in future years and phases of the Programme.
The Panel has considered the Report ‘New Healthcare Facilities Programme Review – Interim Report’ (‘Report’), presented on 10th November 2023 by the previous Future Hospital Review Panel. The Report produced a number of Findings about information relating to the costs of the Programme in 2024 and in future years. 6
The Future Hospital Review Panel found that it was not clear how the £52m requested in the Government Plan 2024-2027, was reflected in the £70m ‘Capital Estimate’, and whether this represented all the known costs for the Programme in 2024. Furthermore, it found that whilst the total Capital Estimate of £710m covered the cost of an acute healthcare facility at the Overdale site, it would only provide a ‘meaningful start’ on the
4 Additional information for P.72/2023
5 Government Plan 2024-2027 – Healthcare Facilities – Capital Estimate
6 New Healthcare Facilities Programme Review – Interim Report – Future Hospital Review
ambulatory facilities and Health Village, and not the full cost of the finished programme of work. [4]
The Panel believes it is important that the States Assembly is provided with more detail about the indicative costs and expenditure plans in future years and phases of the Programme. The Panel requests that this detail is provided to the States Assembly, as well as how this information is informing the Capital Estimates for the Programme that have been provided thus far, and that this is provided prior to the debate on the Government Plan 2025-2028.
Financial and staffing implications
The Panel does not anticipate that this Proposition will create financial and staffing implications.
Children’s Rights Impact Assessment
A Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has been prepared in relation to this proposition and is available to read on the States Assembly website.