Hospital project leader search nearly a year behind

Friday 09 October 2020

Jersey’s Government might have a preferred site for the new £800m hospital, but it is nearly a year behind in its bid to find an expert to lead the project, Express has learned.

When the ‘Our Hospital’ project was launched, the Government set itself a timeline of having a permanent Project Director in place by last December.

An executive search firm was appointed to search for candidates in Jersey and overseas, and three interviewees were identified. However, “none were considered to be suitable.”

“We were looking not only for people with experience of new hospital development, but also those who had the ability to transfer those skills to Jersey and the distinctive challenges that building a new hospital on the Island will inevitably entail,” a Government spokesperson said.

Covid then hit, pushing the recruitment drive – upon which around £6,000 has been spent so far – back even further. 

The Government says it is  now “reassessing the skills and experience required of the permanent Project Director.”

In the meantime, the contract of the Interim Project Director, consultant Richard Bannister, has been extended in a move approved by the States Employment Board and Our Hospital Political Oversight Group. 

Trading as ‘Plan RB Limited’, his contract is worth up to £150,000, with an average monthly travel and accommodation allowance of £1,390. 

Mr Bannister was appointed Strategic Director of the now-defunct Future Hospital project, and was also asked to lead work on the new Government HQ. 

When the Future Hospital project was thrown out, with write-off costs of £27m, Mr Bannister was appointed to set up the Our Hospital in its early stages “to avoid delays.” 

He was previously Director of Pierre Angulaire, a project management company that carried out work for Chief Executive Charlie Parker’s former employers, Manchester City Council and Westminster Council.  

The Government said that “no conflicts of interest were identified” at the time of his appointment.