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Questions are being asked about why health projects are being relegated behind education when building work at the hospital is already underway.
In the Capital Portfolio Review published yesterday, Policy and Resources is suggesting the Transforming Education Plan go ahead as a 'Do As Planned' project.
By contrast, four health projects have been listed as 'Pipeline' schemes meaning they are less likely to happen
Pictured: P&R's proposed priority list for capital projects.
P&R has proposed a major reshuffle of capital projects following the failure of the committee's Tax Review proposals earlier this year.
Those projects which are classed as 'In-Flight' such as Phase 1 of the hospital modernisation plan, the Havelet Slipway repairs, Transforming the Revenue Service and others are all proposed to continue as planned.
Those projects, with funding committed for this year and next, including the Transformation of Education Plan, are proposed to 'Do As Planned'.
Several other projects under the foreboding column ‘Do but review scope &/or solution’ look likely to be dropped, while others have been shifted down to 'Pipeline'.
The proposed de-prioritisation of Phase 2 of the Hospital Modernisation Project is likely to be linked to increased construction costs, compared to when the plans were first developed.
Please correct me if I’m wrong but we currently have a builder on site at PEH ready and in place to continue with phase 2 of Hosp modernisation and no builder, cost estimate or time scale for ESC to complete its Transforming Education Programme. How does this make sense? pic.twitter.com/823GF4B1sy
— Mike Read (@mikereadgsy) April 19, 2023
With work on Phase 1 of the modernisation plans already underway at the PEH campus, questions have been asked by a health campaigner about why the next stage of work has been de-prioritised.
Mike Read is Chair of the organisation Health Equality for All (HEAL) and he works with the Disability Alliance and Cystic Fibrosis Guernsey in his wider work on health matters.
He has pointed out that there is already "a builder on site at the PEH" while there is "no builder, cost estimate or time scale for ESC to complete its Transforming Education Programme".
He asked: "How does this make sense?"
Pictured: The Capital Projects priority list has sparked open discussion by politicians and members of the public.
Senior politicians, including the past-HSC President and the President of Employment and Social Security, have queried the decision to downgrade the PEH plans too.
Deputy Peter Roffey said he would prioritise the PEH modernisation over the plans to build a new sixth form centre at Les Ozouets, which Deputy Heidi Soulsby agreed with.
She also queried why all of the Transformation of Education plan is "under one wrapper".
Various health projects are listed separately as 'Pipeline' workstreams, including the energy and pathology components of the Hospital Modernisation plans.
FOCUS: Capital projects, who made the cut...
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