Category: Public Announcements

Update on Services This Week

The Health & Social Welfare Directorate announced on Monday (7 July) that due to a current number of very serious inpatient cases, the General Hospital would be unable to offer general Outpatient Services until tomorrow (10 July 2014).

The situation has been kept under review and as a result, Outpatient Services will be unavailable until next Monday, 14 July. This includes the Nurse-led clinics in various districts. Outpatient Services will resume on Monday morning.

This small number of critical cases require intensive medical nursing care from both doctors and nurses. These cases demand 24-hour care, together with the associated staff resources. This burden is on top of the normal number of residual inpatients at the Hospital, and existing outpatients, such as expectant mothers.

Those with existing appointments before Monday are currently being contacted to rearrange. Emergency cases should be reported in the normal way and will be dealt with.

The situation will be kept under review, with any changes announced. The Health & Social Welfare Directorate again thanks the public for its understanding, and the Hospital recognises the dedication of Health Service staff in meeting the demands of the current situation.

SHG

9 July 2014

Chris Dawson of Longwood has received formal notification of his results from the University of Portsmouth in the UK, where he studied for a BEng Civil Engineering Degree.  He has achieved a First Class Honours Degree.

During his degree, over three years, Chris’s syllabus included design of structures, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, water infrastructure, hydraulic principles, energy resources, project management, construction practice, surveying and material science.  Chris also undertook a wide range of group and individual engineering projects.

Chris commented:

“University has been the most incredible experience.  I managed to find the perfect balance between the academic and social aspects of University life, which enabled me to get the most out of my experience.  I encourage all those still in school to aim towards higher education – it is a fantastic opportunity to gain a senior qualification whilst having the best time of your life.”

On his return to the Island Chris will take up employment with Connect Saint Helena Ltd.  Barry Hubbard, Chief Executive Officer of Connect, said:

“We at Connect Saint Helena congratulate Chris on his great result and look forward to him joining our team.  This is a busy time for Connect as a number of infrastructure projects are in progress and high quality engineering is critical to their success.  With his First Class Degree, Chris has the opportunity to make a major contribution to these projects.  The complexity and range of engineering needs gives Chris the perfect chance to use his qualification and further develop his knowledge – helping him on the road to Chartership.

“Welcoming back a talented individual to the Island is always an uplifting experience. We are confident that Chris will have a rewarding career to look forward to.  His knowledge will be contributing to the future prosperity of St Helena.”

SHG

8 July 2014

Cobble stones are now being set into the pavement in lower Jamestown (pictured) outside the National Trust building, as part of the wider Main Street Enhancement Project – under the direction of the St Helena National Trust, which has offered the services of its Built Heritage Team (BH Team).

The plan for the Main Street pavement included the provision of cobbles, or ‘beetle stones’, between the steps of the buildings and in other areas which front the street.  These cobbles have been recovered from the original paving work, and if additional cobbles are required these will be sourced with appropriate permissions and licenses from the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate.  The new paving slabs being used for the pavement are being made locally on St Helena.

The National Trust is installing the cobbles in front of Broadway House free of charge – in recognition of the heritage value of this work and in order to demonstrate the skills of the Trust’s Built Heritage Team.  The BH Team is made up of Tom Wortley, Darren Williams and Brandon Bone, each of whom has previous experience of this work.  Darren and Brandon both hold NVQ qualifications in the Conservation of Built Heritage.  These three individuals, under the supervision of Kevin George (Operations Manager of the National Trust), will carry out the remainder of the Main Street cobbling work, under a sub-contract to be negotiated between the main contractor (Brian Leo) and the Main Street Project Working Group.

Jeremy Harris, Director of the St Helena National Trust, commented:

“The integration of cobbles in the design for the Main Street pavement recognises the heritage of this remarkable town.  Any modern-day development will contain limited compromises, due to practical considerations and available finances, but we believe that it is imperative that historic features of Jamestown be preserved wherever possible, as St Helena prepares for a tourism-based economy with the arrival of the Airport.”

This Main Street work will be carried out both during and outside normal working hours, Monday to Friday. The Working Group apologises in advance for any inconvenience caused.

SHG

8 July 2014

Executive Council met today Tuesday, 8 July 2014, with three items on the Open Agenda.

The first item was to consider a Bill for an Ordinance for the Protection of Wrecks and Marine Archaeological Heritage. At present there is no legal protection of wrecks and with increased tourism and diving activity it is imperative that our marine heritage is protected. A few minor amendments were suggested and it was agreed that these could be addressed by the Environment & Natural Resources Committee and that the Bill should be passed as Government Business to the next formal meeting of Legislative Council.

The second item was to seek approval for an amendment to the Customs Regulations to provide for the introduction of a new form for currency declaration, by post, of over £6,000.  This was essentially a housekeeping matter and was approved.  Once in force, there will be a public information campaign on this.

The next item was a routine briefing paper on the revised fuel prices which came into force on 24 June 2014.

In the Closed Session, there was a discussion on the Health Service following the announcement that Outpatient Services have been temporarily suspended for a few days this week. With critically ill patients in hospital, staff are all working incredibly hard to care for these patients around the clock. Staff from non-clinical areas and across SHG are also being called in to cover routine tasks if necessary. ExCo recognises the dedication of Health Service staff in meeting the demands of the current situation.

There was also a briefing on the recent rock fall in upper Jamestown on Friday 27 June 2014 and the excellent response from the emergency services. Rock guards have been asked to continue to scan the hillside looking for and dealing with any loose rocks. In the longer term, there will be a review of the previous assessment to determine the most appropriate course of action to improve safety in this area.

This being a relatively short agenda, the meeting ended at 11.10am.

ExCo

8 July 2014

News on Services, Mon-Wed This Week

Due to a current and unusually high number of very serious inpatient cases, the General Hospital regrets to announce that Outpatient Services are unavailable from Monday 7 July to Wednesday 9 July, this week.

Serious emergency cases should of course be reported in the normal way and these will be dealt with.

Those with existing appointments between these dates are currently being contacted to rearrange.

The situation will be kept under review and any changes will be publicly announced. The Hospital thanks the public in advance for its understanding and cooperation.

SHG

7 July 2014

Open to the Public from 9:30 am

Executive Council will meet on Tuesday morning, 8 July 2014, in the Council Chamber.

The meeting will be open to the public from the following Open Agenda items:

• Protection of Wrecks and Marine Archaeological Heritage – Bill for an Ordinance
• Customs (Entry forms and Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, 2014 – Introduction of new Currency Declaration Form
• Revised Fuel Prices (Information Paper)

Executive Council Members are: Ian Rummery, Christine Scipio-O’Dean, Lawson Henry and Wilson Duncan.  Councillor Brian Isaac is temporarily sitting on ExCo while Leslie Baldwin is away on overseas business.

SHG

7 July 2014 

Jodie Peters, Teacher at Harford Primary School, has recently completed the ‘Grammar for Teaching’ course, through distance learning, delivered by Support 4 Schools which is part of the UK Literacy Matters group.

The course took her approximately 2 months.

Course content included:

•  Areas of grammar to be taught to Year 6 pupils
• Understanding of grammar terminology and functions
• Assessing pupils’ grammar knowledge
• Planning and implementing appropriate progress steps for pupils
• Evaluating pupils’ learning attainment

Carlean Crowie, Head Teacher of Harford Primary School, said:

“Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation have recently been an additional paper to the KS2 SATs examinations.  As part of continuous professional development and to support teachers with preparing pupils for their exams, ‘Grammar for Teaching’ was offered to all staff in our Primary schools.   A number of staff opted to do this course and Jodie was the first to complete it.”

Jodie commented:

“I enjoyed ‘Grammar for Teaching’ and found it very beneficial.  It helped me recognise the standard of grammar that needs to be taught to Year 6 children and also allowed me to identify the next steps for teaching grammar to my Key Stage 1 pupils.  This has helped me in my professional and career development.  Being able to deliver and provide an excellent education to my students here at Harford is my priority.” 

Carlean added:

“I am thrilled with Jodie’s accomplishment.  It demonstrates her will to provide the best possible teaching and learning experiences for her pupils.   It also illustrates her recognition that KS2 SATs is not just the responsibility of the Yr 6 teacher but that lower aged group teachers have the responsibility of providing the foundation for the Yr 6 teacher to build on.”

A picture of Jodie and Carlean is attached.

SHG

7 July 2014

The Commemorative Stone Ceremony took place at the Airport Site on Saturday 28 June 2014 to mark the construction of the Terminal Building.

HE Governor Capes unveiled a Commemorative Stone at the front entrance of the Terminal Building, His Lord Bishop Richard Fenwick blessed the building and a Time Capsule was buried by Prince Andrew School students.

Speeches on the day were given by Governor Capes, Basil Read Airport Director Deon De Jager, Deputy Chief Executive for Economic Development, Susan O’Bey, Miles Leask from the Project Management Unit and Deputy Airport Director Clare Harris.

A short film displaying activities at the ceremony will be shown on local TV Channel 1 at the following times:

• Monday 7 July – 17:05
• Tuesday 8 July – 19:00
• Wednesday 9 July – 13:20
• Thursday 10 July – 07:15

SHG

7 July 2014

The Commemorative Stone Ceremony took place at the Airport Site on Saturday 28 June 2014 to mark the construction of the Terminal Building.

HE Governor Capes unveiled a Commemorative Stone at the front entrance of the Terminal Building, His Lord Bishop Richard Fenwick blessed the building and a Time Capsule was buried by Prince Andrew School students.

Speeches on the day were given by Governor Capes, Basil Read Airport Director Deon De Jager, Deputy Chief Executive for Economic Development, Susan O’Bey, Miles Leask from the Project Management Unit and Deputy Airport Director Clare Harris.

A short film displaying activities at the ceremony will be shown on local TV Channel 1 at the following times:

• Friday 4 July – 19:50
• Saturday 5 July – 13:30
• Sunday 6 July – 09:45
• Monday 7 July – 17:05
• Tuesday 8 July – 19:00
• Wednesday 9 July – 13:20
• Thursday 10 July – 07:15

SHG

4 July 2014

The review of St Helena Government’s Housing Waiting List has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the numbers on the Housing Register, says Housing Executive Andy Crowe:

“The old list included people who weren’t in housing need and it had never been updated. We now have a much clearer picture of who really needs housing.”

The number of households on the list has fallen from 71 to 23, following the adoption of the new Housing Register.  At about 14% of all households on the Island, this best compares with the south west of England, where average local incomes tend to be low and house prices are generally high.  In the UK, there are 1.6 million households on Council waiting lists.

Many Saints applying for housing currently share with other householders and some live in homes in very poor condition. Seven applicants on the new Register are single people and the rest are families. 15 would prefer to live in Jamestown, with Half Tree Hollow the second preference.  Their average income is £8500 although a few earn over £15000, and most need one and two bedroom homes.

“What does this tell us?  Well, with such small numbers it is difficult to make sweeping statements, but we now have a better idea of who we need to help. We need to manage expectations – we will never get the number of vacancies we need in Jamestown. People who opt only for Jamestown may be waiting a very long time.

‘’Most applicants are in employment, but the combination of wage levels and house prices makes it impossible for them to afford to buy. It is therefore important that we create a local housing market that also caters for low income families.

“We have also contacted all of the households that did not reapply to join the Register, to remind them to do so if they are still in need. I suspect that the number will climb a little from 23, but what we now know makes it much easier to plan ahead.”

SHG

4 July 2014