Jersey clinicians ask politicians to support new hospital

If the budget is approved, the hospital at Overdale could open by 2026

More than 40 senior clinicians have asked Jersey's politicians to support plans for a new hospital.

In an open letter to States members, the 43 medical experts said the existing hospital was "rapidly becoming unfit for purpose".

They also warned patients could not be cared for adequately "for much longer" in the current hospital.

The States is due to be asked next week to approve spending more than £800m on the new facility at Overdale.

'Put aside differences'

Planning approval for the construction of the new facility, at the existing hospital site, was granted last November.

The budget has yet to be agreed on, with the Government of Jersey proposal to fund the Our Hospital Project due to be put to the States Assembly in October.

A cost of £804.5m has been estimated.

However, concerns have been raised about the figure, with the Future Hospital Review Scrutiny Panel saying the budget could be reduced by about £250m.

Members of the panel said they were concerned developers stood to make too much profit, and the project should be capped at £550m.

However, in their letter the medical experts asked politicians "with a sense of urgency ... to put aside your differences and come together to support the plan".

They said: "Please be in no doubt that the existing hospital is rapidly becoming unfit for purpose.

"Year after year we have spent millions of pounds to patch up an ageing building so we can maintain services, but the infrastructure means we cannot improve.

"We cannot continue to care for our patients, the people of Jersey, in the current building for much longer. What we need is a new hospital."

If the budget is approved, the hospital could be open by 2026.

Follow BBC Jersey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].