Within six years, the ageing King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute will be at a critical stage and liable to experience failure either through outdated equipment or the physical condition of the buildings.

The effects are already being felt as the Island tries to make-do with a public-funded health system that has fallen behind the times as was illustrated during a debate on the $97.5 million to be spent running the two main facilities during the coming year.

The hospital can no longer provide enough continuing care beds, said .

She spoke of the improvements to the hospital, such as the new state-of-the-art morgue, and future planned improvements such as an all-weather shelter for ambulances and a disaster emergency vehicle.

The Minister also mentioned a number of initiatives to address the world-wide problem of recruiting and retaining medical staff.

But the absence of any financial commitment to start rebuilding the hospital and the institute within the coming 12 months was a glaring omission that baffled Opposition politicians.

Mrs. Minors said $68.6 million is being spend on running the ageing hospital during the next year. However, none of that allocation is to go towards the projected rebuilding of the facility

She touched upon the future of the hospital, referring to a 2003 report that highlighted how both the KEMH and the MAWI were ?exhibiting the characteristics that are expected to be found in health facilities in excess of 40 years old.?

The Minister said: ?The general conclusion is that the hospitals are at the very end of their useful life. The situation will reach the critical stage by the year 2012, when much of the physical infrastructure, building systems and medical equipment will reach the failure point or be extremely difficult or costly to maintain.?

Consultations with the community and the Bermuda Hospitals Board have resulted in an Estates Master Plan recommending a number of solutions for rebuilding the hospital and the institute. The plan is now being considered at Ministry level, but this year?s budget has not included any provision for a new hospital. Last month Mrs. Minors indicated it may take 10 years to complete the new hospital project if, as is expected, it is rebuilt on its current site.

The growing problems associated with the ageing facility were evident as she spoke of the shortage of beds in the continuing care unit.

?At any given moment, patients who are waiting to discharge home or to a skilled nursing facility or to transfer to the continuing care unit, occupy 30 percent of these beds,? she said.

?Consequently, there are fewer beds to accommodate the growing number of patients processed through the emergency department, particularly in the course of the weekend period.

?The Bermuda Hospitals Board addresses this matter within the Estates Master Plan 2005-2020, nevertheless the need is immediate and for this reason a short to medium-term solution is essential.? Mrs. Minors said a reassessment of space allocation had resulted in an opportunity to increase the number of beds at the hospital by 16 within the coming year.

But the lack of any cash commitment for re-building KEMH or the MAWI was lamented by the United Bermuda Party Opposition. said: ?Not a penny was mentioned for the estate planning. This is going to be a situation dragging on and it will be 2017 or beyond before we have a new hospital.

?We have two ageing facilities that have been allowed to fall into disrepair in many respects.?

She accused the PLP Government of ?dropping the ball? during the last eight years by not caring for the facilities.

?The BHB and the Cabinet received comprehensive validation from outside consultants in 2004/5 that work should commence forthwith to achieve new premises before the 2012 timeframe. They were saying that eight years is the maximum period before facilities, plant and equipment reach conclusion of their effective life span ? in other words time is running out.

?This year?s Budget is when they should have given some money. This funding should have been set aside for this detailed planning and design phase.

?We have very poor planning when it comes to the new hospital. I urge the Minister to go to Cabinet get the $5m and get started with this detailed planning and design stage. We don?t have much time.?