The GSD says that news that GHA patients will be able to have MRI scans in Gibraltar is “welcome” but the party has also raised further questions about the new arrangements. 

A statement continued: "The GSD for some years has been pressing the Government in and outside Parliament as to the provision of an MRI scanner within the current St Bernards footprint after the Government announced plans to acquire a MRI scanner in 2019. 

“The Government previously confirmed that an MRI machine had been “ordered” and that it would be “much more convenient” for patients to access this service within the Hospital. It was also said that 2,500 to 3,000 scans were being procured from Scanner Sur in Spain each year. The Government importantly stated that the costs of the MRI provision would be cost neutral to the GHA and therefore the public. During the Covid Pandemic the MRI project was put on hold by the Government and presumably the purchase order revoked or otherwise cancelled. Role forward 5 years and the Government have now announced a public/private partnership with the Specialist Medical Clinic to make that provision available in Gibraltar for the first time.” 

Shadow Minister for Health, Elliott Phillips, said: 

“We welcome the news that after many years of stopping and starting and several health ministers, our community will finally have the benefit of localised and dedicated MRI scanning service, albeit in partnership with a private medical clinic. 

A number of residual issues arise: 

(1) given the Government’s previous commitment that any MRI service will be cost neutral to the GHA, can the Government now confirm what the financial arrangements are, assuming that this provision will now not be cost neutral to the tax payer?; 

(2) it was said by Minister for Health, Albert Isola MP that physical space considerations were important when considering incorporating an MRI scanner within the St Bernards footprint. Yesterday, the Government announced a public consultation process in relation to the creation of a single entrance for the Primary Care Centre and St Bernards Hospital which was to be primarily funded by donations made to the GHA Covid Response. It would therefore appear that there may have been space to house the MRI service within the current St Bernards Hospital facility and therefore we ask the Government to confirm what the main driver was for not making provision on Hospital premises as originally planned in 2019; 

(3) is the Government confident that upwards of 3,000 scans year can be performed under the partnership with the provider and whether the GHA anticipates seeking the involvement of other tertiary providers in Spain for overspill or contingency purposes?”