Policy & Resources, which is spearheading the project, hopes to lead a States debate before the end of the year on plans to create a 33-bed care home on the western part of the site, which would be operated by a private company.
But members of Health & Social Care indicated unease about the scheme when it was raised during questions in the States Assembly yesterday.
HSC president George Oswald revealed that his committee had been given ‘some opportunity to review the process so far but not a lot’ and asked for an assurance that P&R would ‘give full credence’ to its comments on the proposed plans once it had been able to study them in more detail.
Deputy Oswald admitted that the plans had already ‘caused some concern’ to HSC, and P&R president Lindsay de Sausmarez tried to reassure him that her committee was ready to listen to other committees’ views.
‘That is exactly the nature and purpose of consultation. That is why HSC and indeed Employment & Social Security are being consulted and why we would not publish the policy letter before we have received their feedback,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.
She suspected that the draft policy letter had reached the officials of the consultee committees but could not be sure it had yet been sent on to their members, although she had very recently discussed it with Deputy Oswald.
The original question was asked by Rhona Humphreys, who reminded the States of a statement issued by the previous P&R a week before last year’s general election, which announced that a care home at the KEVII would be operated by CI Healthcare, which already runs a string of care homes locally, and that the new facility should be open by the latter part of 2027.
Deputy Humphreys asked P&R to outline the obstacles which seemed to have prevented progress since then.
‘P&R yesterday considered a draft policy letter about this part of the KEVII site which it intends to lodge shortly. We hope it is going to be in the next few weeks and, although this does hold me hostage to fortune, we are hoping to be able to debate it this year,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.
‘As the matter is subject to ongoing commercial discussions, I cannot go into any further details at this stage.’
The States has committed to encouraging more investment in the care home sector in preparation for an anticipated significant increase in demand as the island’s elderly population rises over the next 30 years.
The announcement in 2025 had put the likely cost of the KEVII project at £5m., which would be funded privately.
Deputy Robert Curgenven asked how much the States had spent on the project so far, but presiding officer Jessica Roland ruled that his question went beyond the issues raised in the original question and therefore did not need to be answered.
Deputy Liam McKenna asked for clarity about the future of the rest of the KEVII site, but Ms Roland again said the issue went beyond those in the original question, and also fell outside the senior committee’s remit, and therefore did not need to be answered.