County’s new hospital moves forward a step; completion projected for 2027

The Quinte Healthcare Board has approved the preliminary design planning stage for the County’s new hospital – now with a new projected completion date of 2027.

The design moves to the Health Investment and Capacity Branch of the Ministry of Health (MOH). Approval is expected in the summer of this year.

The Stage 3.2 design will start once approval of 3.1 is received and is expected to require 10 months to complete.

The board notes that based on current information the completion date will be approximately fall of 2027.

Carol Smith Romeril, QHC Vice-President and Chief Nursing Officer, stated plans to open as early as 2025 have been dashed, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This was an early estimate. Some of the timelines to get through the capital project approval process have been longer than what was projected in earlier stages of planning,” she said. “It is not unusual for a project of this magnitude to have adjusted timelines depending on the many competing priorities of government. This is especially true in the current pandemic environment.”

Stage 3.1, which started in early July 2020, develops preliminary design details including site layout, floor plans, proposed structural systems and finishes.

It also provides a framework for developing and evaluating sustainability options, which will be considered in the upcoming Stage 3.2 submission.

In the coming weeks, a community information session is to be planned to present and discuss the latest design work for the County’s hospital.