Hospitals chief David Hill says he can see “light at the end of the tunnel” in the long-awaited project to rebuild King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

After years of debate over the institution’s future, a team of experts is now poised to arrive in Bermuda to carry out a three-month review of the Island’s healthcare needs.

Within a year, it is expected Bermuda Hospitals Board will have detailed plans in place for the rebuilding scheme which, it has been confirmed, will take place at the current hospital site.

The board’s CEO Mr. Hill said he accepted people had been waiting a long time to see what would happen to the 40-year-old hospital, but insisted genuine progress was now underway.

“This is such an important investment, it’s got to be right that we take our time on it,” he said. “This report should precede firm design. It’s going to specify in great detail exactly what the new hospital will include, how it’s focused and all those sort of questions.

“Then we can go to architects, and all the other professionals involved, with a clear brief and say this is what we want.

“We can now definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have moved from different options at various sites. All the time we are narrowing it down.

“It’s a labour of love for everyone concerned.

“We have been looking forward to getting to this stage where we actually have certainty over the site and can get on with detailed planning.”

The team, from the Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, is expected to land in Bermuda within two weeks.

One of the main decisions will be to choose whether to build a completely new replacement hospital, or reconstruct the existing building in a series of phases.

“If we replaced it in modules,” said Mr. Hill, “as soon as one module is ready we would be able to start using it. That way we would get some facilities ready earlier than otherwise we would have done.”

Asked if that was the more likely option, Mr Hill replied: “We await their advice.”

He added that the ward block was probably the oldest part of the hospital and would require replacing first.

The need to replace the KEMH, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, was underlined in an independent review two years ago, which concluded the hospitals were at the end of their useful life.

“It was the sort of evaluation you would expect from a hospital 40 years old,” said Mr. Hill.

“It reflected the rising standards and the public expectations. It showed why we need a new building and in the meantime get as close as we can with the existing hospital. I would hope people understand that.”

The scheme faced controversy last year, when Government announced the new building would be built on the Botanical Gardens site.

That decision was overturned following a public outcry, with officials opting to rehouse it at the hospital’s own 14-acres site, which includes a green area surrounding the existing building.

After the review is completed, an architectural firm will be called in to create a hospital which suits the attributes of Bermuda’s environment, said Mr. Hill.

He said one of the main targets right now was to weigh up the needs of preparing for the new hospital with the importance of maintaining the existing one.

Mr. Hill said: “We have to find the balance to keep this place running and improve our standards in the short term, and also stand and deliver on the rebuilding project.

“We want to demonstrate to the taxpayer of Bermuda that we are spending their money wisely.

“At the moment, we are increasing our repairs and maintenance budget each year — we have got an ageing institute.”

To that effect, an extra $1 million has been given to the hospital’s maintenance budget this year. Cash has also been put aside to improve the emergency room, while investments have been made in the dialysis unit, to meet the needs of its growing number of patients.

Mr. Hill said patients will have a voice in the rebuilding programme through a confidential survey.

“We need them to tell us what we are getting right and what areas we need to improve on,” he explained.

“We will use that feedback in our design. It can be very difficult to see the experience through a patient’s eyes, but that’s the most important view there is.”

He added that healthcare professionals, managers, physicians and nurses would also play an important role.

An exact timescale on the scheme has not been drawn up.

Mr. Hill said: “Many decisions regarding the rebuilding project and how it is paid for impact on how long the rebuilding project will take. For example, a complete rebuild will take significantly less time than a phased approach.

“We are expecting steady and consistent progress as we enter the review and then design phase.

“Once the Johns Hopkins review is finalised later this year, we will provide the community with a full timetable and explain how they will be involved in this exciting project.”