Airport and harbour staff lend hospital a hand

Wednesday 29 April 2020

From helping the ambulance service to portering at the hospital, staffing telephone lines and even supporting construction of the Nightingale facility... Jersey's airport and harbour staff have been redeployed to help in the local battle against covid-19.

With redevelopment work on the new terminal at Jersey Airport suspended due to the pandemic, Ports of Jersey's Project Team has instead been working on the Nightingale Hospital at Millbrook.

Given the team’s expertise in overseeing large-scale projects, they volunteered to support the government, working closely with the project’s main contractor, J3.

Video: A timelapse of the Nightingale facility being constructed.

A key part of their role involves supporting the procurement of and tracking delivery of key equipment, as well as keeping control of the budget.

Steve Tanner, Capital Projects Director for Ports of Jersey, acted as overall Project Manager.

"There has been a very energised and enthusiastic work ethic and a great sense of achievement among us all that we have all rallied round, supported one another and ultimately have achieved what we have so far in such a short period of time," he said of everyone involved in the project.

Pictured: Steve Tanner, who acted as overall Project Manager, said he had been impressed by the "amazing teamwork" between everyone else involved on the temporary hospital project.

While the core build is due to be completed by early May, the Project Team will remain involved to look after the ongoing management reporting as well as cost management once the hospital is up and running. They are also likely to support the maintenance effort in the short-term.

In addition to the efforts of its Project Team, other Ports of Jersey employees have been providing resources and assistance to other Government departments.

The Airport's firefighters have been working alongside the Ambulance Service, while the Ports Security Team has been helping at the General Hospital.

Pictured: The Airport Firefighters have been working alongside the Ambulance Service.

Meanwhile, volunteers from across the business have been manning the healthcare telephone lines.

“As a business, we play an important role within the Island community and continue to do so as our ports remain open throughout this crisis period to support freight movements at the harbour and facilitate the essential flights at the Airport," Matt Thomas, CEO for Ports of Jersey, said.

"Over and above this, it is amazing to see so many of our colleagues, with their vast experience and skills, volunteering to support other vital services across the Island. We are incredibly proud of everything they are doing at this time."