More people are to be brought in to help make decisions and oversee one of the most difficult and challenging periods for Bermuda?s hospitals.

With ageing facilities and a masterplan to rebuild King Edward VII Memorial Hospital among the major challenges currently faced by the Bermuda Hospitals Board the number of board members is to be increased from the present maximum of nine to a total of 16.

The move was welcomed on both sides of the House of Assembly, although Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson warned the Government must ensure new board appointments are not ?political cronies?.

Explaining the need for change, Health Minister Patrice Minors said: ?Over the years Bermuda?s hospitals have become increasingly complex organisations, which require more attention and oversight by board members in order to fulfil the Bermuda Hospitals Board?s statutory duties of coordinating the administration and operations of the hospitals in an efficient manner.?

She said the current rule that the board can be made up of a minimum of five and a maximum of nine members, with a quorum of three, was now inadequate.

The board meets on a monthly basis and its members are also serve on a large number of committees and subcommittees dealing with various aspects of hospital business.

Mrs. Minors continued: ?There are several major projects that the board is currently involved and will require close oversight, employee health insurance plane, employee pension plan, fee structure and hospital estate plan.

?Members of the board bring wealth of experience, but many of them are employed full time on the Island and have families and therefore have finite time to devote to board activities.

Mrs. Minors concluded: ?As a consequence of the growing responsibilities of the board it is the position of this Government that the number of board members be increased to the maximum of 16, not including ex-officio members, and the quorum be increased from three to six.?

To strengthen the relationship between the BHB and the Bermuda Hospital Charitable Trust and ensure close communication between the organisations she proposed a member of the Trust be appointed as an ex-officio non-voting member of the board.

And she said that, as the Ministry?s permanent secretary is to serve on the Bermuda Health Council, it would therefore be useful to have the permanent secretary also serve on the hospital board as an ex-officio non-voting member.

Welcoming and supporting the proposals, Mrs. Jackson said: ?It?s quite obvious that the BHB do need additional help and we have to realise the awesome responsibility this board has. And we have to be sure that they have a very clear vision for our health systems.

?My problem is that I want to be very sure about how these new board members are going to be selected to make sure that this is not a political crony thing.?

She also expressed a desire that the new board members be professionals who would not need to be ?trained up? to serve on the board and perhaps could include health professionals such as doctors and maybe lawyers.

Mrs. Minors noted her counterparts concerns about the future make-up of the expanded board. The Bermuda Hospitals Board Amendment Act 2005 was passed at its third reading.