Delays in naming a preferred bidder for the new £710 million hospital at Overdale will not push back the project’s completion date, the Health Minister has claimed.
Deputy Tom Binet made the comments after the Government confirmed last week that the hospital procurement process had been extended to “ensure that all relevant information could be submitted by tenderers”.
It had been expected that a preferred tenderer for the main acute building at Overdale would be agreed by the end of September.
Appearing before the Common Strategic Policy Review Panel yesterday, Deputy Binet said: “The contracting of a main delivery partner is a little bit delayed, but I don’t think it’s going to have an overall effect on the final completion date of the hospital itself.”
The acute facility at Overdale forms the largest part of the Government’s New Healthcare Facilities Programme, which replaced the previous single-site hospital plan after a review found it was unaffordable and failed to meet all service needs.
A planning application for the £710 million project was approved in February, with site clearance, utility diversions and other preparatory works now underway.
Responding to the delay, Hospital Review Scrutiny Panel chair Deputy Jonathan Renouf said the group had been privately briefed last month on the tendering process and other aspects of the scheme.
“Whilst any delay in the tendering process is obviously disappointing, the Government team were able to provide explanations for the delay that appeared reasonable,” he said.
“The Review Panel intend to continue questioning the Minister on this matter to ensure that the project is not further delayed.”