The second phase of the Johns Hopkins' review of health care on the Island is complete – more than a year and a half after it was commissioned.

Before it is released however, the Bermuda Hospitals Board's project management team, steering committee and Board of Directors have to review it, according to a BHB spokesperson.

The review of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital by Johns Hopkins has been wracked with controversy since former Health Minister Michael Scott's notes on a secret meeting of the 'Saturday Group' were leaked to this paper.

In them, Mr. Scott said that the Johns Hopkins report had to be managed and written to avoid embarrassing Government.

His notes also contained a statement attributed to management consultants Kurron Shares' boss Corbett Price — one of a number of health bosses who joined Mr. Scott and Premier Ewart Brown for the get-together — that "the reports out of KEMH will be devastating".

A police investigation was launched into reports that the documents were stolen and a spokesperson yesterday said that it was ongoing.

The first stage of the report was released after the appointment of Nelson Bascome as Health Minister in December last year and the second was planned to be released in the spring, which was then delayed until the fall.

After inquiries by this paper, a BHB spokesperson yesterday said the report would still be released this fall, but only after being reviewed by "key groups".

"The Johns Hopkins international team has finished Phase II of the report and it is being vetted by key groups within BHB.

"The groups responsible for vetting the report are the project management team, steering committee and Board of Directors. The report is slated to be released in the autumn of 2008."

The report was commissioned last March to review the Estate Master Plan (EMP), which was an 18-month investigation into the hospitals on the Island and was released in 2005.

A spokesperson in February this year said the additional review would be finished and released by the spring, however in July admitted it was taking longer then expected and would be released this fall.

Earlier this year a Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) spokesperson revealed that what had been a $200,000 three-month review had entered a second phase costing an additional $430,000.

Payment for these studies is split equally between the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust, Government and BHB.