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Health bosses have this week been in Madrid as part of a larger European tour to find a designer for the new hospital, Express has learned.
Following a selection process that started in autumn last year, three potential contractors have been identified and visited Jersey.
As the process enters its final stages, senior health staff are now visiting examples of each bidders’ work across the UK and Europe.
Express understands that Health Director General Caroline Landon, Hospital Director Rob Sainsbury and Chief Nurse Rose Naylor jet set for Madrid last week.
Pictured: Health officials are touring Europe and the UK to visit examples of the bidders' work.
The city, which holds five out of ten of Spain’s top hospitals according to the country’s 2019 Hospital Excellence Index, currently rolling out an “ambitious” plan to invest €1billion in upgrading its hospitals.
€500million of that sum is going towards creating a new Hospital La Paz, whose design process has involved more than 700 health professionals.
Express understands will also be visiting locations in Stockholm and Scotland, as well as London and Belfast.
Government officials cited "commercial sensitivity" when asked to confirm the full list of locations being visited - even suggesting this applied to the names and number of people on the trips.
They also refused a request by Express to provide the length and cost of the tour.
Pictured: Health officials refused to confirm the locations being visited, the cost of the trips or who was on them.
A spokesperson commented: “…Three potential contractors are involved in the early stages of the tendering process to build Jersey’s new hospital. As part of that complex and commercially sensitive process, all of the potential delivery partners have visited Jersey, and representatives from the Our Hospital project team have, and are, visiting examples of their work across the UK and Europe.
“Once a delivery partner has been appointed in April, a full breakdown and timeline of the tendering process will be revealed. Until then, no further comment can be made as the tendering process is still live.”
In a statement read at the first States Assembly meeting of 2020 yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said he had met all three potential design partners, and was impressed by their work.
“All have excellent credentials, very valid experience and the capability not just to deliver us a new hospital, but a fantastic hospital – the hospital Jersey people deserve,” he said.
Pictured: Deputy Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham provided an update to the States Assembly yesterday.
The site of the new hospital is still yet to be decided – a task that Senator Farnham described as “of the highest priority”.
Following suggestions from 300 islanders, and “one last sweep of the island to double-check” that no potential sites have been missed, Senator Farnham and that islanders can expect a shortlist of the top three locations by April.
He added that the final preferred site will go to the States Assembly for a vote of approval “no later than… September”.
The Deputy Chief Minister explained that he had several reasons to be confident about the new project, which was resurrected at a cost of £7.4m after the previous ‘Future Hospital’ was shelved with write-off costs nearing £30m.
Those included the use of “two key methodologies” to govern the project, which had not previously been used:
Concluding the speech, he said: “It’s time for us to restore their confidence in this project. We are, at last, seeing the shape of our future hospital emerge. A strong team with the right skills is being built to make this happen.
“We must all, The Chief Minister, The Political Oversight Group, Scrutiny and all States Members, work hard to rebuild their belief and their confidence. It’s vital now that we push through and don’t stop pushing until Our new Hospital is open.
“However, when all is said and done, it is actions that speak louder than words. Action is what is required and action will be delivered.”
Pictured top: Madrid Barajas Airport and Jersey General Hospital (inset).
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