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2019.05.21
11 Deputy K.G. Pamplin of the Chief Minister regarding the condition of Orchard
House: (OQ.128/2019)
Will the Chief Minister advise what action, if any, the Government has taken following the meeting I arranged with myself and other Ministers at Orchard House, on 26th April 2019, regarding the current state of that facility?
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré (The Chief Minister):
Yes, I am glad the Deputy was able to arrange a meeting with himself but there were plans already in place, as the Deputy may be aware, prior to that meeting on 26th April regarding Orchard House and the relocation of its facilities. Work on those plans continues and I will say, from memory, I think there was an announcement in the media within the last couple of weeks. So, there was no great action required, in terms of those plans are moving forward.
- Deputy K.G. Pamplin:
Would the Chief Minister give his personal account of that visit and what he saw, especially in the Orchard House Acute Unit?
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré:
I am very clear the facilities are not up to scratch and that significant improvement is required. The staff that took us around were very good, as we would expect. In many areas, our staff are very good and the proposals are that there is a budget for the Minister for Health and Social Services of £2 million for 2019 in relation to Orchard House; there is a proposal for a further £3.3 million to complete those works in 2020 and a further £1 million is being sought in relation to La Chasse. So, in total, it is around £6 million, which will, therefore, at last bring matters up to acceptable standards for the medium term; and by medium term I mean roughly the next 10 years, which is sufficient then to incorporate a longer-term plan into the new hospital strategy.
- Deputy K.G. Pamplin:
I thank the Chief Minister for his answer. The initial money that he mentioned, the £2.2 million, part of that work was for the immediate work to go into Orchard House, before the transfer of in- patients. Does he know when that work will begin, where some of that money could be used on what is so desperately needed as of right now?
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré:
I am just looking up my notes, but I do know that some of the work has been done in terms of there were some immediate things that needed to be addressed, which I believe was a new updated personal alarm system, for example, that had to be sorted and, apparently, it has been installed. An action plan has been accepted, the Health and Safety Inspectorate is in place and senior support for staff is in place, together with a recruitment plan, to ensure vacancies are filled efficiently. That is from my notes but, as I said, we are in May; obviously, the budget will be for the year and the physical works will be in conjunction with Property Holdings.