Five sites have been shortlisted as possible locations for Jersey’s new hospital.
The sites are: St Andrew’s Park, The People’s Park and Overdale in St Helier, a group of fields to the north of Five Oaks in St Saviour, and Millbrook playing field plus farm land north of the inner road in St Lawrence.
A public call for sites earlier this year helped identify a longlist of 82 possible locations. From there, a set of criteria – formed by consulting health clinicians in the Island and the newly-formed Our Hospital Citizens’ Panel – was applied to all the sites, gradually reducing them to the shortlist. Politicians have not been involved in the site selection process.
Landowners and parish officials for all five sites were contacted and notified before today’s announcement.
Further investigations will now be carried out by the newly-appointed design and delivery partner, who will look in greater detail at the feasibility of each site. They will assess a range of factors that could affect the ability to deliver Jersey’s new hospital by 2026. These include the impact on the local environment, infrastructure requirements, overall cost and any site-specific issues.
The site analysis will run throughout the summer before a preferred site is recommended to the Our Hospital Political Oversight Group in September. During that analysis, the partner will also be speaking to the clinicians and the Our Hospital Citizens’ Panel, as well as seeking further engagement with Islanders throughout the summer. The States will then be asked to debate the preferred site in November.
Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the Political Oversight Group, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said: “This is an important step forward in the delivery of a new hospital for Jersey. From the outset we have been committed to ensuring there is an independent, transparent and fact-based site selection process and it has delivered this shortlist.
“Jersey’s clinicians and medical professionals have been involved from the beginning, as well as a specially created Citizen’s Panel. More than 280 Islanders responded to the call for sites and made 340 site suggestions. This approach has meant that Islanders have been at the very heart of this crucial process, for which we thank them.
“Each of the sites presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities and we know there will be a high level of public interest and, potentially, concern but it’s important to stress that more work has to take place over the summer before we can announce the final preferred site in the autumn.”
Government of Jersey News Release.