blog.gov.jeThis is the first in a series of regular blogs that are designed to provide Islanders and colleagues across the Government of Jersey with an update on the work of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme team.
Our team are tasked by Ministers with delivering new healthcare facilities that are fit for purpose, cost effective and right for Jersey and its community.
Engaging with Health and Community Services
Over the past week, a key focus for our team has been ensuring that we are engaging with all colleagues working in Health and Community Services (HCS), including clinicians, doctors, nurses, therapists, biomedical scientists, support and ancillary staff to establish their preferred approach to healthcare delivery across multiple sites.
We know that healthcare staff have limited free time due to their demanding roles, and many have already engaged with previous projects, so we appreciate the time they have given us to provide their feedback!
We’d particularly like to thank the 59 members of HCS staff who attended the drop-in sessions and group meetings this week, watched a short presentation video, asked questions, and provided feedback through our online survey.
We will be uploading the video, that sets out two potential models of service delivery within the multi-site approach, on the HSC intranet to allow all staff who could not attend in person to view it and provide feedback.
Work will continue to ensure that the views of HSC staff are understood and factored into the feasibility studies, including further meetings. This will be followed by wider engagement with the public and stakeholder groups in the community later this Spring.
The team will also be working to ensure that we put into action the useful feedback from HCS staff on how they want to be communicated with, whether that is through additional drop-in sessions, focus groups, newsletters or using digital platforms.
The Programme timeline
On 28 February, the team presented a Report to the States Assembly setting out the direction of travel and rationale for the programme, and our key milestones. That Report can be read here.
The Review of the Our Hospital Project outlined an optimistic, yet achievable timeline for delivery of the programme. That timeline illustrated the delivery of the first phase of the programme within five years, and anticipated the full programme being delivered over eight years.
Given that our work has now started in earnest in January 2023 we anticipate that we can deliver the first phase of the programme by the end of 2027, only marginally later than the original timeline for the Our Hospital Project.
Phase 2a, which will deliver the remaining majority of new facilities should be completed by the end of 2028. Some additional facilities, which may be required, could then be delivered from part of the old General Hospital site, with delivery by the end of 2030.
Our ambition to deliver the programme of New Healthcare Facilities within this timeline has not changed.
| March/April 2023: | Strategic purchase of land on Kensington Place |
| June 2023: | Commence demolition works of dilapidated buildings at Overdale |
| Summer 2023: | Opening of the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre at Les Quennevais |
| 2024 | Commence enabling works at Overdale |
| 2025 | Commence enabling works at Kensington Place and Mental Health facilities |
| January 2028 | Completion of works on Phase 1 (Overdale) and Mental Health facilities |
| January 2029 | Completion of works on Phase 2a (Kensington Place) |
| January 2031 | Completion of works on Phase 2b (additional facilities on Gloucester Street) |
Getting the right governance and team in place
As part of their commitment to transparency, good decision making and governance, Ministers are looking to appoint an on-Island independent advisor to act as a ‘critical friend’ to the New Healthcare Facilities Programme and to assist the Ministerial Group who are overseeing the development of new facilities in Jersey.
The successful applicant, who will be appointed through an independent selection process, will support the Chief Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Health and Social Services, and Minister for Treasury and Resources.
The programme will also be recruiting over the next few months. Job adverts are already published for Communication and Engagement and Project Support roles. We will keep you updated on other opportunities in the coming weeks. We hope that colleagues and Islanders will be interested joining us in delivering excellent new facilities to support healthcare services for the future.
Details of the roles and how to apply can be found on www.gov.je/jobs