Jersey chief minister sits in the BBC hot seat

Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham spoke to BBC Jersey about three key topics

Jersey's chief minister has spoken to the BBC on a wide range of topics as he approaches the six-month mark in the role.

Deputy Lyndon Farnham became Chief Minister in January following a vote of no confidence.

He spoke on key issues including public sector redundancies, the future of the hospital and laws used to prosecute emergency workers.

Mr Farnham said the government was reviewing the laws that were used to prosecute two ambulance workers.

The Royal Court found John Sutherland and Tom Le Sauteur guilty of failing to properly care for Fraser Irvine who died after taking an overdose in 2022.

More than 150 people gathered outside Jersey’s Ambulance Headquarters in support of the two suspended members of staff soon after the verdict.

Mr Farnham said the safety of both emergency staff and the public would be considered.

He said: "We need to make sure the laws that we have will protect our frontline staff but we also have to make sure they protect the public as well so it's about finding the balance.

"We're going to review the legislation that was used in relation to the prosecution of the ambulance staff to make sure it is fit for purpose and I'd like to reassure frontline staff and the public that their safety is forefront in government policy."

Deputy Lyndon Farnham said consultants and fixed-term contracts needed to be better controlled in the public sector

Mr Farnham said further redundancies could be seen in the public sector.

He told a scrutiny panel in May that the government was planning to curb the use of consultants and fixed-term contracts with outside companies after figures showed Jersey's public sector had grown to become the biggest it has ever been.

Mr Farnham said it had grown to an unsustainable level in recent years and needed to be better controlled.

"High salary earners, we will either look to redistribute them amongst the public sector or there might have to be some redundancies," he said.

'No going back'

Mr Farnham said work on the new hospital would begin before the end of his term in office in 18 months' time.

It is hoped that the new hospital with emergency care at Overdale will be completed by 2028 - at an estimated cost of more than £700m.

Mr Farnham had previously opposed plans to build healthcare facilities on multiple sites.

He said: "We will start building the hospital. The site clearance now is almost complete.

"Planning applications will be submitted imminently in the next few months.

"We allow eight to 12 months for that process. All being well, we'll get started sort of sometime during next year and then we're on the go with it.

"We [have] started - there is no going back."