OPEN LETTER: "Many questions remain unanswered"

Tuesday 16 March 2021

A local campaign group has penned an open letter to the politician leading the new hospital project to demand answers to several "urgent" questions they have.

Friends of Our New Hospital had this to say to Deputy Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham…

“Dear Senator Farnham,

I write on behalf of the ‘Friends of the New Hospital’ group, in connection with the ongoing ‘New Hospital’ saga and a recent article in the press, in which critics of this governments’ handling of the project are reportedly referred to, by you, as ‘Enemies of our New Hospital’. In addition, suggestions are made to the effect that they (the critics) are responsible for delaying the development of this much needed, essential facility, at a cost to the public of some £100,000/day. 

Assuming it to include us (amongst others), this particular critical group wishes to be clear that it always has been, and very much remains, just what our title suggests ‘Friends’ of our new hospital, with the express intention wanting the best hospital and health care system that Jersey can afford to sustain.

It is fair to say that, should the current government have undertaken this project efficiently, openly and honestly, from the outset, we would probably no longer exist. This, most definitely, would have been our preference. 

However, from the ultra-vague initial presentation of the proposed new Care Model (which, itself, seems to be having a direct and profound impact on the composition of the new hospital) to the blatantly farcical handling of the hospital site selection process, coupled with a mind-numbing reluctance to reveal any meaningful information at any stage of the process, it has been clear that some form of critical body has remained essential.   

Accordingly, it should be made absolutely clear that we, the true ‘Friends’, have no intention of assuming the blame for the incompetence and obfuscation that has led to the current, and ongoing, impasse and a level of confusion and public discontent that generations of Jersey residents have not witnessed in their entire lifetime. Responsibility for the mess that is the ‘Our Hospital Project’ lies squarely at the door of this government and, particularly, with the project’s Political Oversight Group.

With all of that in mind, many questions remain unanswered, and we believe it would be much in the public interest if you, the Chairman of that body, would be kind enough to furnish the public with answers to the following questions -

• What kind of hospital can we anticipate, a General Hospital offering similar services to those that we all currently enjoy, or a proposed Acute Hospital offering an inferior service with many of the services being subrogated to care in in the Community potentially a system that falls short of the level of care that our existing hospital provides?

• Why was Overdale selected as the correct site of the hospital when some of the apparent accessibility issues and indeed overall site capacity limitations are becoming more obvious when compared to other government owned properties such as Warwick Farm or St. Saviour's Hospital, both of which have lesser potential objections and are larger and capable of accommodating the new hospital more adequately?

• How was the construction partner selected, and upon what process in determining that public expenditure shall obtain a competitive value in terms of both cost and skills and deliverability?

• Why is there so much apparent secrecy surrounding the process as a whole, in terms of which facilities shall be incorporated in the new hospital and specifically and of utmost importance, what facilities currently to be located to Les Quennevais shall not be incorporated in the new hospital and why?

• What consideration and negotiation has taken place with the Parish of St. Helier, in the case of Overdale, concerning the road access, has discussion taken place with both the Constable and the Roads Committee.   Secondly, what level of consultation has already been undertaken with the Connétable together with his Roads Committee, of St. Brelade prior to the announcement of the move of services to Les Quennevais?

• What contingency was built into the agreement with the Design and Build Contractor with regard to any anticipated delays in respect of Planning considerations of potential and actual legal impediments arising from a project of this complication and magnitude?

• If all the existing services omitted from the brief are to be provided “in the community” has any assessment been made of the additional costs of achieving that ambition - staff, accommodation, other infrastructure costs etc?

We look forward to your urgent response.

With thanks and kind regards,

Stephen Regal
on behalf of the Friends of Our New Hospital