The private patients unit at Noble’s Hospital is due to re-open by June, but Health Minister David Ashford admitted the design has not yet been finalised.

The government closed down the former private unit in January last year, for a refurbishment and revamp. A public consultation on private health services followed.

A tender process for a private operator to run the unit is due to take place in March.

In the House of Keys on Tuesday, Mr Ashford confirmed the refurbishment was due to be completed and the unit open by the end of June 2020.

Dr Alex Allinson (Ramsey) asked whether the ’complete redesign’ and rebuild that the minister had previously mooted had taken place.

The minister said: ’It is under way and also we want the involvement of who we appoint in relation to private patients, because they will be the person running the unit.’

That caused some alarm for Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey).

He asked: ’Is he really saying that in between March and June, when it is due to reopen, there is sufficient time for the Department of Health to run a tender, to involve the winner of that tender in any design upgrades or changes that may be required, and then actually implement all of that in time for full opening by the end of June 2020?’

Mr Ashford insisted the timescale was ’workable’.

Major infrastructure such as electronics and plumbing would be in place before the new provider took over, he said. The remaining facilities would be quick to put in place.

He also defended the Department of Health and Social Care’s progress since the unit closed.

’We have been engaging with all of those who expressed an interest in running this unit for quite a long time now,’ he said. ’We have a very good idea of what they want out of a unit.’

Mr Ashford added: ’What we had previously, to be blunt, was another ward, another part of Noble’s, being run as a private facility.

’It was not a proper private patient facility that was there previously. We are going out to get on board and work with partners who actually have experience in this area.’

Dr Allinson asked about the situation for private out-patients in need of infusions of anti-cancer agents who have to be referred back to consultants in the UK.

The minister said work was taking place to allow them to receive that treatment on the island.

’Chemotherapy, obviously, and the drugs that are provided there need very robust procedures in place to ensure they are actually purchased correctly and the correct doses are administered,’ Mr Ashford said.

’I know that the team up at Noble’s has been working very hard to ensure that patients can, even in the interim before we open in June, receive their private cancer drugs on-island.’