Decant of services from Overdale to old Les Quennevais School

WQ.172/2021

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY SENATOR S.C. FERGUSON

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 19th APRIL 2021

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 26th APRIL 2021

Question

Will the Minister –

1. update the Assembly on the decant programme for departments and services temporarily moving from Overdale to the old Les Quennevais School site;
2. advise whether the timetable for the decant has slipped to the end of 2022;
3. advise whether any community-facing services will be provided elsewhere and, if so, state to which services this relates and the location from which they will be provided; and
4. state the planned project cost for the decant?

Answer

The States Assembly approved Overdale as the site for Our Hospital on 17 November 2020. It was then necessary to relocate the clinical and non-clinical services that currently occupy the site. Work was undertaken to gain an understanding of those services and their needs and an options appraisal was undertaken to identify a suitable relocation site. The former Les Quennevais School site was the only option which was large enough to accommodate the clinical departments and available within the required timeframe.

1. Through December 2020 and January 2021, a series of meetings was held with the departments concerned which clarified their current service models and accommodation occupied. From this consultation work, a Supplementary Functional Brief has been developed which confirms optimum departmental zoning and patient flows. This document was published on the Our Hospital website on Friday 16 April.
2. Having reached the stage of publication of the Supplementary Functional Brief, work can now begin to establish exactly what work is required in order to be able to relocate services. Once this has been established, a programme of works and timetable will be finalised and shared.
3. The Supplementary Functional Brief also includes an update on services currently located at Overdale which will not relocate to the former Les Quennevais School site. These services are being reviewed separately and suitable alternative premises which are available and best suit the needs of each are being identified through consultation with each of the departmental service leads. The latest update is as follows:

• The Horticultural Therapies Group – a relocation site remains under negotiation and will be confirmed in the near future

• Hard and soft facilities management services, except where those services are required in support of services in the decant facility – these will be co-located with other HCS estates management services

• The Pharmacy stores – these will co-locate with other HCS stores for efficiency purposes

• The Assisted Reproduction Unit – will return to the General Hospital at Gloucester Street where it was originally located prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

• The Health and Safety Training Room – this will relocate to a part of Orchard House not used or necessary for the delivery of mental health services.

4. An estimated investment of up to £15million is required based on the schedule of accommodation developed in the Supplementary Functional Brief. Further cost certainty will be gained as detailed plans progress.