Plans for urgent care centres at either end of the Island moved further along yesterday through new legislation passed in the Upper House.

Senators approved a law which gives Bermuda Hospitals Board the power to provide health services outside King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Progressive Labour Party Sen. Thaao Dill told colleagues the completion date for the eastern urgent care centre was April 1, 2009.

"This is but one example of the need to expand the scope of the geographical description of the hospital to offsite locations apart from the two main campuses," said Sen. Dill.

"Bermuda Hospitals Board's patient satisfaction surveys indicate that the public is desirous of improved and more convenient access to patient care services.

"This coupled with the lack of physician space at KEMH and the upcoming new hospital project has driven the board to consider locating various non-acute services offsite in better proximity to their clients."

Sen. Dill said BHB was seeking legislative amendments to its Act that will allow it to pursue joint venture initiatives with physicians and other healthcare providers.

This would establish third party vehicles that remain under the control of BHB but can also pursue private programmes, he explained. A number of Senators questioned where funding was going to come from for the new care centres.

Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley said: "While we want everyone to have access to healthcare, in jurisdictions such as Bermuda it's going to cost money, and somebody has to pay."

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes urged caution because of the risk to the public purse; UBP Senator Jeanne Atherden said the more services we have, the more we have to pay for; and Senate President Alf Oughton asked what role the watchdog Bermuda Health Council had played in the decision-making process.

Regarding where the money was coming from, Sen. Dill said the proposer would pay and would operate on its own business case.