“There is no conspiracy over hospital site” – Minister

Wednesday 10 February 2016

Ministers are not engaged in a “stitch-up” to build the new hospital on People’s Park, says Health Minister Andrew Green.

Responding to criticism by campaigners, the Health Minister says that he is trying to put all of the facts on the table so that the public can help to make an informed decision about the new site.

He is due to attend a public meeting at the Town Hall tomorrow night for a debate on the question of where to put the hospital, which could cost between £444 million and £630 million, depending on where it is built.

And in response to specific criticism by campaigners against a new hospital on the park site, he said:

- An artist’s impression of the hospital on People’s Park was created in late 2014 not because it has been the plan from the start, but because it was an edited version of an old image created by the Planning department.

- The costs of the People’s Park site include the cost of buying land and demolishing buildings to create a new replacement park.

- The Future Hospital website and accompanying Facebook page have been edited to change what campaigners saw as a bias towards the People’s Park site.

A public consultation exercise is due to start soon about the location of the new hospital, and Senator Green says that ministers are not trying to push the final decision in any particular direction.

“There is no conspiracy,” he said.

“All that I want is the best hospital that we can afford for the people of Jersey.

“I appreciate and apologise for the fact that, in our haste to get the information before the public as soon as possible, some of the information presented on the website was not as clear as it could have been.

“This has now been rectified.

“The intention is to provide all the necessary information to assist the public in considering the options for a future hospital, as long as this does not damage the public interest.”