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Channel House, on Longfield Road in Southside, St David\u2019s (Photograph by Akil Simmons)<\/p>\n
A former office site in St David\u2019s will be converted into a transitional healthcare facility, the Government announced today.<\/p>\n
Channel House<\/a>, on Longfield Road in Southside, will be repurposed to house 60 beds under a project aimed at alleviating space issues that have plagued the Bermuda Hospitals Board.<\/p>\n Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said the facility, which will be operated collaboratively by the Department of Health and the BHB, will house patients who are medically fit for discharge, offering short-term care and rehabilitation services before they return home or move on to another care setting.<\/p>\n Zane DeSilva, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Housing and Municipalities, was joined by Ms Wilson and Judy Richardson, the acting chief executive of the BHB, at the St David\u2019s site.<\/p>\n Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, with Zane DeSilva, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Housing and Municipalities, and Judy Richardson, the acting chief executive of the Bermuda Hospitals Board (Photograph by Akil Simmons)<\/p>\n Mr DeSilva said the project \u2014 budgeted between $8 and 10 million \u2014 will provide dedicated service and amenity space after the Bermuda Land Management Corporation, which owns the property, decided to make the facility available to support the Government\u2019s broader healthcare objectives.<\/p>\n He recalled that in 2023, the Government issued requests for proposals to determine whether suitable private sector solutions could be identified for the site.<\/p>\n \u201cThat process provided valuable information and allowed us to assess market interest and possible delivery models,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Multiple concepts were proposed \u2014 but Mr DeSilva said as the discussions with the Ministry of Health progressed, \u201cit became clear that Channel House presented a unique opportunity to address a pressing public need while making effective use of an existing public asset\u201d.<\/p>\n In November 2023<\/a>, the Government announced that Channel House would be converted to a home for seniors.<\/p>\n Today, Mr DeSilva said the Government concluded that \u201cthe greatest public benefit\u201d could be achieved through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Housing and Municipalities.<\/p>\n It enables the site to support healthcare and long-term care objectives that \u201cmight not otherwise be met through a commercial development model\u201d.<\/p>\n The Ministry of Housing and Municipalities will oversee the delivery of the project, including planning, procurement, design development and construction.<\/p>\n Mr DeSilva said the project is expected to be finished in the next eight to 12 months, with the final designs, including for rooms, being completed.<\/p>\n Work will be undertaken in phases, with the immediate focus on completing procurement and taking on appropriate professionals and construction teams.<\/p>\n Key milestones on the project\u2019s fruition will be communicated publicly as it progresses, he added.<\/p>\n Ms Wilson said it marked \u201ca major step forward in strengthening Bermuda\u2019s health system and ensuring that people receive care in the right setting\u201d.<\/p>\n She said acute care beds at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital were consistently occupied by people who no longer require hospital-level care but who have nowhere appropriate to go.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cIn many cases, this does not mean the family does not want their loved one to return home.<\/p>\n \u201cRather, there may be practical barriers that need to be addressed for a safe transition and care.<\/p>\n \u201cBermuda has faced a shortage of appropriate long-term care beds for years, and this facility directly addresses that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Wilson said it would improve patient flow and alleviate pressure on the emergency department of KEMH.<\/p>\n Previously, the Government announced plans<\/a> to convert space within existing BHB facilities for additional long-term care beds.<\/p>\n A joint statement on June 2 by the ministry and the BHB stated that the quango will be adding 30 long-term care beds at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788383176_873_.jpeg\")
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