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The President of ESC’s suggestion, that it isn’t feasible for the Hospital Modernisation Project phase 2 to be prioritised over the completion of the Education Programme, isn’t an accurate reflection of the situation, according to the President of Health and Social Care.
During an interview with Express earlier this month, the President of Education, Sport & Culture, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, said, despite sympathising with HSC, the completion of its hospital project before the Education Programme simply isn’t feasible.
It follows Policy & Resources publishing proposals to de-prioritise the Hospital Modernisation Project phase two in favour of completing the Education Programme, as tight finances will make completing both at the same time almost impossible.
“Under the current plans, the Hospital Modernisation Project, Phase 2, requires the movement of the Institute of Health from inside the hospital building to a new home,” she said.
“The new home is planned to be at Les Ozouets campus... because the Institute of Health is going to train [staff]. So, not only do the plans physically require us to take the Institute of Health and to free up space for the hospital for their strategic usage, we also need to train staff as well, for them to be able to resource their aspirations in delivering health care provider provision.”
Pictured: Deputy Dudley-Owen raised her concerns during a discussion with Express about ESC’s mandate.
This argument has since received a rebuttal from the President of HSC, Deputy Al Brouard, who said – during a general update on his committee’s mandate in this week’s sitting - it is not an accurate reflection of the current situation.
“I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on one particular misunderstanding that has evolved recently, which relates to the inter-dependency between the two programmes.
"It has been stated that it isn't feasible that phase two of our hospital modernization can proceed before the transforming education programme, due to the relocation of the Institute of Health and Social Care studies to Les Ozouets campus, and the way this has been reported in media is not... an accurate reflection of the position.”
Pictured: The plans for the second phase of the Hospital Modernisation Project.
Deputy Brouard said there are three elements of the Institute located at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital currently; accommodation, a teaching space and a library. The important distinction, he told deputies, is that HSC and the Institute both carry out training in shared facilities and these facilities will remain at the PEH during and after the completion of phase two.
The relocation element to note will be the library facilities from the PEH to allow the space leftover to be developed into a new private ward or office accommodation.
“But there is some flexibility about where this is provided, and we could accommodate the staff elsewhere on the PEH campus if necessary," said Deputy Brouard.
“We have already started to look at contingency arrangements for the library, and this is certainly not going to prevent the committee from pushing on with the plans for phase two and the delivery of a full range of facilities that we know are crucial to the future of our health and care services.”
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