The newly rebuilt King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will be up and running by 2012, Acting Health Minister Philip Perinchief insisted yesterday.

Mr. Perinchief said that was the time it had been established the current hospital's life would come to an end.

The Minister also suggested for the first time that work would almost certainly involve several phases of reconstruction at the existing institution, rather than the creation of one completely new hospital.

He was speaking after announcing that experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine International had arrived in Bermuda to launch a $200,000 three-month review of the Island's healthcare needs.

When their investigation is completed, Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) will formulate detailed plans for the rebuilding scheme.

"Our commitment is for the end of this year to have design drawings done. I would say before 2012 we will have completion. That's when the life of this hospital comes to an end," he said.

Mr. Perinchief said he hoped certain elements of the institution, such as the recently modernised Intensive Care Unit (ICU), would form part of the new-look hospital.

"This isn't a cavalier attempt to knock down the hospital and start again," he explained.

"A lot of things have been renovated. It would be a shame to knock them down. We have to try to get use out of those parts of the building as well as considering how to rebuild the rest."

Appearing to confirm this assertion, William Ward, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins, said he had already seen the ICU and had been impressed with the facility.

The Johns Hopkins investigation follows the completion two years ago of the Estate Master Plan, a long-term strategic plan for the hospital developed by overseas consultants.

This has brought criticism from Opposition politicians, who complain that too much time and money has been spent on reviews, and not enough on actual work.

However, announcing the start of the review, Mr. Perinchief said: "Today represents the beginning of an important process to build upon the work of the Bermuda Hospitals Board Estate Master Plan.

"This review will create a service profile and provide clear direction for design options for the new hospital.

"While the Estate Master Plan was a top level report, this review will ensure that the services provided in a new hospital are planned within Bermuda's overall healthcare structure."

BHB Chief Executive Officer David Hill said: "The importance of advancing the new hospital project is dear to the heart of every staff member, patient, volunteer and visitor to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

"We do our very best to provide Bermuda with an international standard of care in both our current hospital buildings.

"This means we will continue to invest in modernising patient care areas and in new, cutting edge equipment.

"I know I speak for all of our dedicated staff at BHB that we will ensure the people of Bermuda have a healthcare service they can rely on while we remain in our current buildings.

"However, for us to continue caring for the community in the long-term, we need a new acute care hospital facility."

Philip Butterfield, chairman of Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust, said: "Part of the process of building a new hospital involves understanding how we all use healthcare services in Bermuda, so that we can better determine the right mix of local and overseas healthcare services to meet the needs of our unique Island nation. And it's important that we get this right."