Nelson Bascome should certainly have no problems finding his way around the Health Ministry.

He left that role when Alex Scott took the reigns of Government in 2003, and recently complained publicly about being shunned by the former Premier?s regime.

But after three years in the backbench wilderness Mr. Bascome yesterday returned to Cabinet centre stage when he was handed back the crucial health post. Replacing Patrice Minors, the long-standing Dr. Brown supporter?s most pressing concern will be to resolve the controversial siting of the replacement hospital.

Premier Ewart Brown has already signalled a re-think and said the new hospital need not be built on the Botanical Gardens.

Green campaigners will hope that a change of leader and a new minister will see the Botanical Gardens saved.

Mr. Bascome was giving little away yesterday, but he echoed Premier Brown?s stance that a radical review would be carried out.

?We can?t jump up and say that we are going to be doing anything new without knowing what services are needed. We need to look at the situation before saying anything about where the hospital will be built.?

Mr. Bascome said he was not only enthusiastic about his new role, but happy that the Premier had put him in a Ministry that he ?probably holds dearest to his heart?.

The Minister said other pressing issues included revamping the Island?s ageing healthcare system. He vowed to look at the condition of the public clinics and other Government health buildings.

Amid fears about rising health costs for seniors, Mr. Bascome said that elderly care would get more emphasis now, after Dr. Brown streamlined the Health Ministry by removing the Family Services strand of the department.

He described Dr. Brown?s debut Cabinet as a ?brilliant team? and denied an ?olive branch? had been offered to those who had sat in Alex Scott?s cabinet.

If that was the case, said the Minister, then Dr. Brown could have appointed a few more people to Cabinet ?These are people with experience,? he said, dismissing talk of splits as ?myth?. ?These are people he knows will help make this Government successful.?

Mr. Bascome, one of the rebel 11 who overthrew Premier Jennifer Smith, will hope this spell in Cabinet is less turbulent than last time. Although his early years as Health Minister passed without too much incident, his handling of corruption at Bermuda Housing Corporation under his Housing watch might have led to his political downfall.

Mr. Bascome along with new Works Minister Dennis Lister, were seen as fall guys from the 2003 coup. ?We went into politics together, we entered Cabinet together, we got booted out together,? Mr. Bascome said recently.

From yesterday, they are back at the Cabinet table once again.