The Chairmen's Committee has established a Review Panel to scrutinise the Future Hospital Project.
In 2012 the States Assembly agreed Proposition 82, Health and Social Services: A New Way Forward, which required Ministers to:
Bring forward for approval proposals for the priorities for investment in hospital services and detailed plans for a new hospital (either on a new site or a rebuilt and refurbished hospital on the current site), by the end of 2014. (page 2)
Between the 2012 and 2016 the States of Jersey established a Ministerial Oversight Group (MOG), a Project Board and contracted Lead Advisors. These parties conducted pre-feasibility and feasibility stages to determine a site for a future hospital, prepare a business Case and conduct public consultations.
Plans were developed for public consultation on five potential sites in 2016. In February 2016, prior to commencement of consultation, the Council of Ministers withdrew People's Park as one of the options and decided not to proceed with the public consultation process. Subsequently the Council of Ministers identified part of the existing General Hospital site and adjacent land as the preferred site for the Future Hospital.
The decision making involved in selecting a site for the future hospital over this period was investigated by the Comptroller and Auditor General. In November 2017 the C&AG concluded:
"I am concerned that arrangements for making decisions on the siting of the Future Hospital were poor and that the decision took too long. Through this work I have identified a number of areas where urgent change is needed if better value for money is to be achieved."
At the end of 2017 the States Assembly agreed Proposition 107, Future Hospital: Approval or Preferred Scheme and Funding. By doing so, the States agreed to the current preferred site of the hospital and the arrangements for funding the scheme through a combination of borrowing and drawing on the Strategic Reserve Fund.
The total amount that the States agreed to spend on building the hospital was £466 million (minus £23.6 million which had already been spent).
A planning application was submitted prior to the States agreeing P.107. Following the States agreement, the Planning Inspector recommended that the Minister for the Environment reject the application. His advice was based on 'serious planning objections'.
The Minister subsequently refused planning permission.
A revised planning application was submitted in April 2018 and a new public inquiry has been set for Monday 17 September 2018.
In parallel with this process, the Chief Minister has established a Hospital Policy Development Board to "review the evidence that supported the previous States Assembly's decision to build a new hospital on the site of the existing hospital." The Board will undertake "an initial review of evidence by 31st July, 2018, with a view to determining any next steps, and overall, to aim to conclude by the 31st October, 2018, to coincide as far as possible with the outcomes of the planning enquiry."
Review Panel is responsible for the scrutiny review work in relation to the future hospital.
