Ministerial Statement by the Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP MP
Mr Speaker and Honourable Members,
I am very pleased to be tabling in this Honourable House today the 2014 Annual Report from the Bermuda Hospitals Board.
This marks what is expected to be a process of publishing the next five outstanding Annual Reports to bring BHB in line with its legislated requirements over the course of the coming fiscal year.
Mr Speaker, I can give further update that the 2015 financial statements have been audited and the annual report is underway. BHB is working with the Auditor General’s Office on completing the audits for 2016 to 2019, and will soon be completely up to date.
Mr Speaker, This 2014 annual report provides a summary of activities during the fiscal year under review, along with full financial statements, salary information and statistics.
During that year, BHB managed to end the year with a surplus, achieved by reducing budgets by 10% and controlling costs. This resulted in a reduction in expenses from $312.3 million to $259 million. These savings were needed to pay for new equipment and ensure financial obligations could be met when the new Acute Care Wing was completed in the summer of 2014. This enabled BHB to financially prepare for the new wing without any additional funds or grants from Government.
Mr Speaker, The 2014 annual report gives details of the operational readiness project, which included training and preparing staff and planning moving 90 inpatients over safely.
It also highlights service and care improvements in all services provided from the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre campuses, and the various BHB-run group homes.
To close, Mr Speaker, I look forward to bringing the future annual reports as they are made ready, and to see BHB move forward on its legislated schedule of financial reporting.
Thank you Mr Speaker.