Upgrades at Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital to begin

The new Princess Elizabeth Hospital critical care unit will have 12 beds

The first phase of upgrades to a hospital in Guernsey is due to start in March, project bosses have said.

The Princess Elizabeth Hospital will have a number of works done, including a building new critical care unit.

A spokesperson for the Committee for Health and Social Care said the upgrades aimed to "future-proof" Guernsey's healthcare system.

Rihoy & Son has been appointed as principal contractor for the first phase.

The project is park of a hospital modernisation programme, and phase one will see the new purpose-built critical care unit created, which will increase capacity from seven to 12 beds.

Extra upgrades, which included purpose-built maternity and modifications to the emergency department, were scheduled to be delivered in future phases of work beyond 2024, project bosses said.

Committee president Deputy Al Brouard said: "Our team have taken care to work with stakeholders, including our clinicians and those of our partners, to make sure we are putting in place the right facilities and only those essential to future-proof our healthcare system."

Phase one is expected to cost approximately £32m.

Gavin Rihoy, of Rihoy & Son, said the construction industry would "benefit in the short-term, and the whole population in the longer-term".

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