Petition Put air conditioning throughout the whole Jersey General Hospital building

Ministers responded

This response was given on 13 July 2026

I recognise concerns about high temperatures and while hospital-wide air conditioning is not feasible, a range of measures are in place to maintain the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff.

I recognise that this petition has been prompted by concerns about conditions in the Hospital during the second heatwave of the year. Those concerns are entirely understandable and have continued to receive close attention, with measures already in place and ongoing efforts to manage the impact of extreme temperatures. However, I do not accept the claim that the Hospital is operating in an unsafe environment for patients or staff. During the recent heatwave, I visited wards across the Hospital to see first-hand how conditions were being managed. Whilst the conditions were challenging, what I saw was a committed and professional workforce taking practical steps to protect patients, manage the impact of high temperatures, and maintain safe, high-quality care. Their efforts were impressive, and I remain confident that patient safety continues to be our highest priority.

The challenges presented by periods of extreme heat are being felt across our healthcare estate and beyond, particularly within older buildings that were never designed to cope with the high temperatures we are now experiencing more regularly.

The reality is that much of the General Hospital was built for a different era. As our climate continues to warm and periods of very hot weather become more frequent and more intense, the limitations of the existing estate become increasingly apparent. An example of one of these limitations is that there is not the service space (between the ceiling and the floor slab) to be able to run pipes and services through buildings that a modern heating and ventilation system would require. While Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) are taking practical steps to mitigate the effects of high temperatures, the issues highlighted by this petition reflect wider challenges associated with ageing infrastructure that was not designed with today's environmental conditions in mind.

HCJ has taken a pragmatic, hospital-wide approach to managing the recent heat waves. Portable air-conditioning units have been deployed across the Hospital, and a replacement chiller unit has been installed to ensure our operating theatres can continue to function safely. Where appropriate, patients have been moved to air-conditioned areas, and staff have worked hard to keep patients comfortable by providing cold drinks, ice and ice lollies. Throughout this period, our priority has been to maintain patient safety while doing everything reasonably possible to reduce the impact of the heat on patients, visitors and staff.

I am grateful for the efforts of staff and the practical measures that have been put in place to manage the recent heatwaves already, and we recognise that there is scope to do more within the existing estate. We will continue to identify and deliver sensible improvements wherever possible, particularly in higher-risk inpatient areas and critical clinical environments such as operating theatres, to strengthen resilience and improve comfort and safety for patients and staff alike. However, it is important for the public to understand that the potential for further improvements to existing facilities is constrained by a range of factors, including planning requirements, electrical capacity, infection control, and available funding, for this reason the providing ‘air conditioning throughout the whole Jersey General Hospital building’ is simply not possible, now or in the future.

The concerns highlighted by this petition also reinforce why the delivery of the new Acute Hospital at Overdale, and investment in the remaining future facilities of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme, is so important. There is only so much that can be achieved through temporary measures and adaptations to ageing infrastructure. The existing General Hospital has served Islanders well for many years, but it was not designed for the demands of modern healthcare or the realities of a changing climate.

The new Acute Hospital has been designed with the future firmly in mind, including the need to respond to rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events. It will incorporate modern ventilation, cooling and environmental control systems from the outset, providing a healthcare environment that is safer, more comfortable and more resilient for patients, visitors and staff. Indeed, future facilities as part of the next phase of the Programme will follow this same design approach that is most easily and efficiently delivered through new buildings, rather than the refurbishment of old structures without sufficient service spaces.

While we will continue to do everything reasonably possible to manage the limitations of the current estate, the long-term solution is the delivery of a modern healthcare facilities capable of meeting the needs of Islanders for generations to come.