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May 5th 2014
To the Jersey Health, Social Security and Housing Panel
Regarding the proposal that the future Hospital will cover two sites with a new building on the site of the current Overdale Hospital at Westmount. This will provide outpatient care including the diabetes and cardiology centres and the renal unit. New laboratory and pharmacy facilities and an enhanced rehab unit will also be provided on the Overdale site. Once these plans have been developed, all patients requiring routine appointments without being admitted overnight will be treated on the Overdale site.
Whilst applauding the redevelopment of the Overdale Site (in conjunction with modernisation and redevelopment of the Main General Hospital) I am of the opinion that as many services as possible should be retained on the Gloucester Street site for reasons of patient safety and efficiency.
Some services, perhaps to include the following:
Rehabilitation, Audiology, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Dental, Psychiatry, the Diabetic Centre could be on the Overdale site but I really feel that any service which may require immediate back –up from the medical crash team/ anaesthetists/ access to intensive care should be undertaken from the Main Hospital.
Personally, I think that the new cardiology centre should operate from the main hospital so that all the facilities are available to in-patients.
I am also of the opinion that the renal unit should remain on the main site so that any medical patient presenting with renal failure or any in-patient who develops renal failure whist in hospital can be treated on the spot.'
To this end I also feel that Maternity outpatients and Medical, Surgical and outpatients and Oncology should be in the main hospital. In addition, if Orthopaedic outpatients were operated from the main site it may well obviate the necessity for two Xray departments.
Overdale could also act as a Cottage type' hospital for those less critically ill, but still needing hospitalization/ rehabilitation. As happens now patients could be moved there once they are on the road to recovery.
The main challenges if the future hospital provided care from the two sites as currently proposed:
- Safety of patients
- Waste of Consultant and other medical personnel's clinical time in having to travel between the two sites (+ difficulty and waste of time having to park) + the roads are congested.
- Non – availability of Consultants in the main Hospital.
- Duplication of facilities- current proposals would necessitate 2 x-ray departments, 2 path lab facilities, 2 pharmacies.
- Access to Overdale could be a problem for those living in town without transport and there would be additional expense in providing patient transport up/down the hill. (When there is a cremation service at the crematorium car parking on the road means that there is only one lane available and reaching the hospital is difficult.)
- Car parking may be a problem – when I attend Overdale on a fortnightly basis, the current car park is invariably full.
I also think that we should use local architects and local builders. Please before any final decision is made can the plans proposed by Waddington Architects be seriously explored. These improve the landscape, preserve our heritage, provide more green space and 180 on –site parking spaces.
I am at a loss to understand why the current proposals include moth balling' the entire north east sector of the main hospital for future development. It would surely make far greater sense to use this space now and future proof the main hospital by having the ability to build more floors in the future.
As an Island we now have a wonderful opportunity to provide the very best hospital services for the future. Let's get it right.
Yours faithfully Andy Howell