Feb 23 - New Calpe House Facility to Cater to More Gibraltarians
A new Calpe House facility has been announced by the Government, with the amount of space available having quadrupled from the 8 en suite rooms available currently to 36.
The London-based Calpe House offers domiciliary services to Gibraltarians undergoing hospital treatment in the UK. The concept was coined 25 years ago by Chairman of the Trust, Charlie Tilbury. The Trust, including the Government’s UK Spokesperson Albert Poggio, approached the then Chief Minister Joe Bossano and the project was developed. Funded by donations given by the Gibraltarian people, Calpe House has since served 5,000 Gibraltarians.
The new facility, costing over £8 million to acquire, is situated in London’s Norfolk Square and will span three buildings. In a press conference involving Trust members, the Chief Minister, former Chief Minister Joe Bossano, the Deputy Chief Minister and former Health Care Manager and current Health Minister Dr. Cortes, Mr. Picardo insisted that the move was a huge step forward.
The trust is asking for the help of the Gibraltarian people in the funding of the new facility. The refurbishment in envisioned to cost £2 million and is likely to take 18 months.
The new facility is a short distance for London’s St. Mary’s Hospital. Mr. Picardo insisted that Calpe House would always follow a Gibraltarian philosophy, acting as a home away from home. The increase in space and rooms and - undoubtedly - service users, will mean that the staff, who are mostly voluntary, will need to grow in order to cater to the demand.
