A review is presently underway of both Bermuda's hospitals which is delaying the announcement of the new Bermudian chief executive officer (CEO) of King Edward VII (KEMH) and St. Brendan's, said Health Minister Nelson Bascome.

And Mr. Bascome also named the new chairman of the Hospitals Board as Jonathan Brewin, CEO of the Holmes, Williams & Purvey group.

“I've been very impressed with Mr. Brewin,” he said, adding that Mr. Brewin had been CEO of hospitals in the U.K. “I think he will do a great job.” Mr. Brewin himself was unable to be contacted by The Royal Gazette on Friday.

Wanting to clarify some issues circulating in the community with regard to the Bermuda Hospitals Board, Mr. Bascome called a press conference on Friday where he talked more about the review and the appointment of a Bermudian CEO to the hospitals.

“I am raising both of these issues today because the outcome of one will affect the other,” he said. “Over the years administrators have come into the hospital and inherited systemic issues which have been in existence for some time... This must stop.

“A comprehensive review of both hospitals is currently underway to determine the extent of the management and systemic problems and to develop and put in place operational solutions to revitalise our hospitals.”

The review, said Mr. Bascome, is being conducted by Kurron, an overseas management and consultant company specialising in transforming health care organisations and systems. Different from other consultants, Mr. Bascome said Kurron, which has been conducting the review so far for about a week, comes in and manages, examining all systemic areas that drive the hospitals.

“We sit out here in the middle of the Atlantic... with one hospital,” he said.

With the public needing to have confidence in that hospital, he added: “This (review) is to maintain our standards and go beyond.”

Mr. Bascome said he was unable to put a cost on the review, expected to last 60days at most, right now.

“I also want to express my deep concern about recent reports that an expected announcement is to be made regarding the new CEO of the Bermuda Hospitals,” he said.

“The process of appointment will not be completed until the Hospitals Board receives and has evaluated Kurron's report and recommendations for the necessary changes to the hospitals.

“Ultimately the new CEO would be expected to implement the recommended improvements and move the hospital in a new direction. I must caution that since the review is still in progress, the recruitment and hiring process cannot be completed and any announcement on a new CEO would be premature.

“I want to ensure that the successful candidate and new CEO does not inherit a system that has been identified by the current administration as having problems and challenges,” he said.

Mr. Bascome also discussed some of the financial challenges facing the hospitals. Several weeks ago in the House of Assembly he said: “The Island's hospitals will face difficult times as a result of expected cost increases in the health care system.

“The Ministry of Health has been actively involved in several initiatives that will support the BHB in their attempts to deal with the challenges resulting from the increased costs of delivering health care services.”

Part of those initiatives, he said, included a review of the reimbursement system for physicians, hospitals and ancillary providers. That review indicated a need to change the way hospitals charge for services.

At the press conference, Mr. Bascome said: “The hospital has not realised the rates above the cost of living.” Saying they were still dealing with insurers regarding physician fees reimbursements, Mr. Bascome added that the Hospitals Act does give him the power to set fees.

“They will not go out of whack,” he promised, saying more would be said on the topic in the House of Assembly during his Budget statement.