The Government will build a new hospital for half the estimated price and will do it without building on the Botanical Gardens.

That according to the Throne Speech yesterday, though a Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) spokesperson refused to reveal further information until a press conference on Wednesday.

Also released next week will be the second phase of the Johns Hopkins Report, which had been commissioned by the BHB to review the 2005 Estate Master Plan (EMP).

Yesterday a spokesperson for environmental watchdog Greenrock, said the group welcomed the Government's announcement but worried about transparency as plans went forward.

"We are pleased that Government has recorded their guarantee about not building on Botanical Gardens in the Throne Speech today," he said.

"Greenrock is eager to learn more about the proposed plan for this new facility and hopes that Government decides to be more transparent with this plan compared to how it was in the past.

"We hope the biding process for the construction is fair and thorough, and is decided based on the best interest of the general public.

"Greenrock hopes that Government, considering the importance of this facility to our society, will reach out to the public and groups like us to foster more inclusion in the planning process as opposed to exclusion."

Of interest to the group, he continued, would be how sustainable design would be used, the timeline involved, whether renewable energy would be incorporated and how the physical footprint of the new facility would compare to the old.

Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said the announcement left more questions than it answered, and reiterated her calls for the public to be concerned about the state of their hospital.

"As far as I can see there is nothing definitive. It's just implying promises again. There's no schedule or plan for us," she said.

"If they had all of this why wouldn't they put this in the Throne Speech? This is no comfort to the people who have been in the hospital over the last five years at least.

"When you walk in and see holes in the walls and paint peeling off the walls, this misses the big question which is, is this what we are going to have to live with for another year or two years?"

BHB CEO David Hill has said that the hospital, while recognising it needs a new facility, is going through stages of improvement and KEMH has a three-year plan.

"As we plan our finances, we plan the work that needs doing at both hospitals over time and ensure it is in line with our finances and affordable.

"Our current strategy, which runs to 2011, ensures we provide a high quality, modern and safe service in our current facility over the next three years."

Also announced yesterday was that the Government would review the cost and availability of prescriptions as they get ready to implement FutureCare next year.

The Health Ministry will also continue to focus on wellness programme and ensuring diabetes and hypertension are tackled.