Deputy John Gollop asked about relocating HSC staff. George Oswald said most adult community services will stay at Castel for the long term, while King Edward VII work is expected to change as modernisation progresses.
HSC staff working from Castel Hospital are set to remain there for years, according to Government figures responding to questions in the States.
The question was raised by Deputy John Gollop, who asked about the prospects of moving staff away from Castel Hospital and the King Edward VII site. Deputy George Oswald outlined where HSC personnel are currently based and what that means for any timeline on relocation.
Oswald said HSC currently has 192 staff providing adult community services from the Castel site. That workforce covers a range of roles, including community nurses, the social care team and social workers, along with the rapid response team, palliative care and home health services.
In addition, Oswald noted that 20 staff are based at King Edward VII. Those roles include electro and biomedical engineering, community services support technicians, and the site’s transport team.
A key part of the discussion focused on whether working conditions at Castel had already improved.. Oswald said interim works were carried out in staffing areas at Castel in 2021, and that those changes significantly improved conditions for staff on site.. He referenced visits to the offices, saying the facilities are currently acceptable, while still stressing that a longer-term solution is needed.
When it came to King Edward VII, Oswald said he was less satisfied with conditions.. He described the site as “very poor” for having important services located there, and said those services are expected to be relocated as part of the hospital modernisation programme.. However, the modernisation effort is expected to take time, meaning any move would not happen quickly.
For staff and patients, the practical impact of such a decision is significant.. Community services are often built around routines—where teams are based, how staff travel between patients, and the day-to-day ability to access equipment and support.. A longer timeline for relocation can help provide stability, but it also prolongs the period in which staff must work with whatever constraints exist at the current sites.
The question of space and future hubs adds another layer to the planning picture.. Oswald said HSC has plans for a children’s services community hub at the former States offices in Burnt Lane, St Martin’s.. While the project is included within the States capital portfolio, it is not funded and is not being actively worked on.
If that hub does move forward, it could eventually free up four other sites currently used by HSC.. Those sites could then be sold or repurposed, potentially reshaping how the service network is organised—though, as with other parts of the modernisation programme, the path depends on decisions on funding and delivery.
Overall, the message from Misryoum’s briefings is that Castel is likely to remain a central base for adult community services in the near and medium term, while King Edward VII’s role is expected to change later under a wider modernisation plan.. For residents relying on those services, the immediate priority remains continuity—steady staffing and established teams—while longer-term moves are being staged behind the scenes.