The BermudaHospitals Board (BHB) and partners yesterday unveiled a $315 million five-year plan to upgrade King Edward VII Memorial Hospital's acute care facilities.

The initiative is part of a 25-year plan for KEMH which isto be completed in stages – a recommendation laid out in the Johns Hopkins Phase II Report, which was also revealed at that time. It was the second phase of a report Johns Hopkins had been commissioned to do by the BHB to review a 2005 Estate Master Plan (EMP).

According to the Phase II report, the EMP was a "conceptual study" for the redevelopment of KEMH while this report offers an alternative campus planning study showing "phased redevelopment of hospital acute care and ambulatory care services in response to concerns related to available funds, project complexity and affordability".

Johns Hopkins estimated that it would cost $717,239,773 for the EMP plan and that could lower if changes to KEMH were phased in, rather than completed at once.

And they recommended that a planned move of the Continuing Care Unit, from KEMH to satellite facilities, be deferred to start in about five to ten years along with the staff housing.The Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute will be developed as a seperate project.

According to yesterday's report the new five-year plan for the KEMH includes:

- A three-storey, 75,000 square-foot ambulatory care centre which will include treatment for oncology, dialysis, asthma, and diabetes. To be located near the corner of Berry Hill and Point Finger roads, it will also serve as a base for visiting international specialists

- A six-storey patient tower with 90 private beds, emergency services and some diagnostic equipment will be located in the old Ministry of Health Building, currently slated for abandonment and demolition

- A two-storey central utility plant with laundry facilities and cooling towers is to be built on the current staff car park on Berry Hill Road

- Both wings are estimated to cost $260 million

Renovations to the current KEMH will see some services moved into the new facilities, with the current building upgraded at a cost of $55 million

- Completion is anticipated in five years. The new acute care hospital will cost $315 million and will have 50 percent more space than KEMH's current 300,000 sq ft

- The cost will be spread out over five years by increasing hospital fees by three percent over that period

Yesterday BHB CEO David Hill said: "BHB now has a 25-year plan to guide the sustainable development for our acute facilities in a way that is affordable for Bermuda, is structured into manageable-sized projects and meets a critical community mandate to develop our acute care hospital on our existing site.

"While later stages can adapt to the climate and needs of the times, we have a very clear agenda for the next five years from Government to build two new wings for the hospital, a central utility plant and completely renovate the existing KEMH building so that we can extend its useful life."

The plans were revealed at a press conference held at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute also attended by BHB partners Health Minister Nelson Bascome, BHB Chairman Herman Tucker, Johns Hopkins team leader William Ward, Ray Bower of RTKL, the architectural advisers for the Phase II Report, managing director of KPMG Advisory Limited Malcolm Butterfield and Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust chairman Philip Butterfield.

Each revealed their input into the report. According to Mr. Bascome, it was "a job well done".

Contacted yesterday, Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson praised the report, but urged the BHB to ensure they start construction as soon as possible.

"I am absolutely thrilled with the Johns Hopkins Phase II Report and the fact that the Bermuda Hospitals Board has drawn up a plan which appears to be well thought out as far as the setting of the building not infringing on any parts of the Botanical Gardens and other areas," she said.

"I am impressed by the design of the wards and the other designs. I am very, very impressed with the price, which is as they had said, literally half of what had been estimated.

"I also very pleased with the further planning on how it will expand. To me it seems to be a win-win situation. I think they are doing the best they can.

"Obviously they have done a lot of research. I must admit I was impatient with the time they had taken, but I am impressed now with the plans they have made.

"The concern I have now is that they get on with it because the present hospital is really a disaster. I am urging them to really start the renovation on the general wards for the patients immediately.

"As I have said many times they have taken care of the administration and the IT, but it's really demoralising to have patients in the situation like this and I am happy they will move with all expediency to get this all together."