Hospital independent report not to be released

The new critical care unit at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital was due to open last year

Guernsey's Committee for Health and Social Care (HSC) will not release an independent report into the second phase of the hospital modernisation project.

Last year, UK firm Northmores was commissioned to review the project after a revelation that the scheme to extend the hospital could go £30m over budget.

In January, HSC said the project may need to be split into two phases, with the first part delivering 80% of the overall benefits of the project for the agreed budget of £130m.

The committee is currently in discussions with the Policy and Resources Committee about how the project can proceed and has said some parts of the report may be released when the full business case is published.

Phase one of the project, which centres on the creation of a new critical care unit, has suffered further delays and officials warned it may not open this year.

States of Guernsey Chief Executive Boley Smilie admitted he did not expect the new unit to open "any time soon".

After issues with the second phase of the project were identified, HSC commissioned Northmores to undertake a "value engineering exercise" - effectively to look at how the project could be delivered in the current budget.

The States has not revealed how much the report from UK consultants Northmores cost.

It is different to the Thornton report, which was commissioned to examine how the States manages big projects, following the problems with the hospital project.

That report found issues with "lines of accountability" and the culture within the States of Guernsey.

Phase two

The next phase of HSC's hospital modernisation project is due to include:

• A new children's ward and paediatric unit

• Four new operating theatres

• A larger emergency department (A&E)

• A new private ward to accommodate day case patients

• A 21-bed orthopaedic unit

• A new outpatient unit