Jersey's health facilities to cost more than £1bn

Jersey residents are being asked their opinions on new hospital plans

Jersey's health minister has said the cost of developing new healthcare facilities for the island would be "well in excess of £1bn".

Concept designs and information about the new acute hospital in Overdale have been shared by the States.

Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet said he favoured "a transparent approach" and that there would be an island-wide consultation in May.

In 2022 Mr Binet said a new hospital would not cost less than £804m.

This amount had been previously agreed by the States to spend on the project.

He has now confirmed that the overall cost of building the New Healthcare Facilities Programme would be "well in excess of £1bn".

He said the extra spend was partly because of the long-term nature of the project and partly because all of Jersey's health facilities would have been "refreshed" by then.

'Fantastic new facility'

The new hospital in Overdale is set to include an emergency department, critical care, elective and emergency operating theatres as well as inpatient wards.

A new outpatient facility and urgent treatment centre will be created at Kensington Place.

Public meetings will be used to get feedback on the plans for the new healthcare facilities.

Residents of Overdale and Kensington Place are due to be invited to take part in a neighbourhood forum.

Mr Binet said the government was making "good progress" with the hospital development.

He said: "I favour a transparent approach with islanders and I hope that sharing the designs at this stage means that our community can get a good sense of the fantastic new facility that is being developed."

The new hospital is set to include an emergency department, critical care, elective and emergency operating theatres and inpatient wards

The government said after public engagement, the concept proposals would be "subject to further refinement" ahead of an island-wide consultation in May.

A planning application would then be submitted "later in 2024", it said.

Work is ongoing to build the new hospital by 2028.