A hospital campaign group has called for the government’s construction contract to be released, saying it cannot judge whether enough money has been allocated to deliver Jersey’s new healthcare facilities without it.
Friends of the New Hospital has also questioned how the acute hospital at Overdale will operate without the supporting facilities planned for Kensington Place, and whether sufficient consideration has been given to staffing and running the new services.
In a submission to the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, the group said details of the agreement signed with Bouygues UK in June had not been made public.
It said it had heard that the contract was worth approximately £560 million, but did not know the exact figure or what funding remained available for hospital equipment.
“We do not know how the agreement deals with cost increases, housing requirements for workers and inflationary pressures,” it said.
The group calculated that £569 million proposed for the New Healthcare Facilities Programme between 2027 and 2030, alongside £175 million already approved for 2026, would bring expenditure to £744 million.
That programme includes the Overdale hospital, progress on Kensington Place and a health village at St Saviour, alongside continued use of other healthcare buildings.
However, the group said the proposed Budget did not indicate how money would be allocated across the remaining elements of the programme.
“How will the Acute Hospital operate without the Ambulatory facilities at Kensington Place which should support it?” it asked.
The submission said no comprehensive plan for Kensington Place or the St Saviour health village had been made publicly available, leaving uncertainty over how services would work together.
It also questioned preparations for opening the facilities, saying there had been no workforce report and insufficient information about the role of Kensington Place.
The group asked Scrutiny to establish whether Health and Care Jersey’s financial forecasts included the costs of operating Overdale and the wider programme.
“There will only be benefits if the hospital is well designed, built and equipped and supported by the other parts of the programme,” it said.
“The essence of a good health outcome is not wholly dependent on buildings; they are simply enablers.”
It argued that staff, equipment and leadership were essential, adding that patients needed “quick access to medical help and speedy diagnosis and treatment”.
The submission also raised concerns about construction workers, supply chains, currency fluctuations and borrowing costs.
It said it had been told Bouygues was due to take over the Overdale site at the end of October, with completion scheduled for 2030, but had not seen an official delivery timetable or accompanying schedule of works.
The group urged Scrutiny to seek a redacted version of the construction agreement, a delivery plan, a workforce plan and budget, detailed design documents and further information about Health’s financial assumptions.
