Tuesday 10 February 2026: The hyperbaric chamber at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will not be available for diving emergencies starting today. It is expected to reopen to divers on Wednesday 18 February 2026.
The hyperbaric team started emergency treatment today of a patient who requires a series of sessions in the chamber over the next week. As a result, the hyperbaric chamber will not be able to offer emergency dives during this period.
Wednesday 10 September 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Michael Ashton as chief of infectious diseases and patient centred medical home.
Dr Ashton previously served as BHB’s chief of medicine from 2016 to 2023 before leaving the role for private practice, although he continued with BHB as a consultant infectious diseases specialist.
Chief of Staff Dr Anna Neilson-Williams said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Ashton back to BHB full time. As our director of infectious diseases and chief of medicine through the pandemic, he was instrumental in leading the hospitals and the community through a very challenging time.”
As chief of infectious diseases, Dr Ashton is responsible for all matters related to infectious diseases and epidemiology at BHB, including leading the organisation in preparing for future pandemics and other major epidemiological threats. He is responsible for ensuring effective infection prevention and control measures throughout the hospitals, and leading efforts to mitigate clinical risks related to infectious diseases and healthcare-associated infections.
“Dr Ashton is also taking on a new challenge in leading our Patient Centred Medical Home,” said Dr Neilson-Williams. “The PCMH is a critical service that assists people with complex chronic diseases who frequently need emergency or inpatient care. Most individuals who access the PCMH have more than one chronic condition and many are under- or uninsured. Helping them better manage their conditions results in a better quality of life for our patients and reduced demand on our Emergency Department and acute care beds.”
As chief of PCMH, Dr Ashton is responsible for overseeing the multidisciplinary service and expanding it to include remote management of patients. He will also collaborate with the chief of psychiatry on community mental health initiatives and will oversee population health management programmes.
CEO Scott Pearman said: “The threat of another pandemic is the new reality for healthcare organisations around the world. Dr Ashton has the expertise and proven experience we need to ensure our hospitals are well prepared. We are grateful to have him back at BHB full time, heading up this critical area. We also welcome Dr Ashton’s leadership in the Patient Centred Medical Home, assisting some of our most challenged patients to live a fuller, healthier life.
“As a Bermudian physician and medical leader, Dr Ashton has provided guidance and mentorship for local students through our Summer Student Programme for many years. We hope this new role serves as inspiration for the next generation of Bermudian healthcare clinicians and leaders.”
Dr Ashton first joined BHB in November 2011 as an infectious diseases specialist and hospital epidemiologist. He is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases. Dr Ashton earned a Bachelor of Science in pre med and psychology at McGill University in Quebec, Canada, and attended medical school at the University of Vermont. After completing his training in internal medicine and primary care as an intern and resident at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, USA, Dr Ashton completed a fellowship in infectious diseases and hospital epidemiology at Yale.
Dr Ashton will continue to see inpatients and outpatients as BHB’s consultant in infectious disease and epidemiology.
Thursday 17 July 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board has welcomed 45 local students with summer employment this year.
“The students are working in departments related to their specific field of study and range from clinical areas like nursing, the lab, imaging services and mental health services, to information technology and finance,” said Nyon Steede, director of human resources and operations.
This year 12 of the 45 are medical students, with seven studying nursing. Nineteen students are pursuing studies in a variety of other fields.
“We are pleased with the high calibre of young Bermudians joining us this year,” said Mr Steede. “Following the successful partnership with BHB’s Intellectual Disability Programme last year, we were able to place five of their clients into our summer student programme, providing these promising young people equal opportunity to be acquainted with and gain workplace experience.”
The summer students employed by BHB were selected from 141 applicants. This year’s cohort is aged between 20 and 29. The minimum age accepted is 18. Two of the students are in their first year of college, while the remainder have been in college or university for two or more years.
“BHB scholarship recipients are given first preference in placements,” said Mr Steede. “This year we have welcomed five general scholarship winners: medical students Jahmir Celestine, Storm Gibbons, Veronica Swan-DeGraff and Shani Tucker, and nursing student Sarae Botelho.”
CEO & President Scott Pearman said: “We hope to inspire and give some practical exposure to students in their chosen field of study through our summer programme. Eager to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals, we also want to entice them to return to us after graduation for fulltime positions.
“In addition, BHB has partnered with the Ministry of Education. Through the year we will be providing opportunities for students at Berkeley Institute – the sciences and healthcare signature school – to learn more about careers in health professions. In the coming years, we hope to see these students join our summer programme and be awarded BHB scholarships to pursue their goals.”
Students interested in becoming summer interns at BHB should look for application notices in late December. The deadline is always the last day of February, with next summer’s deadline set for Saturday 28 February 2026.
Thursday 10 July 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board moved to Alert Level 3 today due to increasing pressure on the Emergency Department and acute care inpatient units at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
In addition to rising numbers of people seeking emergency care and increasing admissions, a large number of patients who are medically fit for discharge remain in hospital.
Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson said: “Currently, 36 patients who could be discharged are still in acute care beds, while 21 admitted patients wait in Emergency for those same beds. In some cases, there are no appropriate community placements for these patients. For others, the delay stems from a situation at home.”
Chief of Staff Dr Anna Neilson-Williams said: “Unfortunately, the people who really need the acute care beds are not receiving them. Patients boarding in Emergency are cared for by the ED team in tandem with additional nurses and a hospitalist from the inpatient units, but we recognise this is not an ideal situation for the patient, the family or the staff.”
In addition to the pressure caused by medically fit for discharge patients not vacating inpatient beds, increasing numbers of patients have been seeking care in the Emergency Department. On Monday, 115 people presented at Emergency, the highest number in a single day this year. Average attendance is 85 to 87 patients a day.
Acting Chief of Emergency Dr Ranjini Patton said: “Generally, almost half of patients who come to Emergency are low acuity, meaning they could be helped by their family doctor or go to one of the urgent care centres. We see patients in order of acuity, so those who are low acuity will wait much longer than patients who require emergency care.”
The hospital is also under additional pressure due to rising levels of COVID-19 circulating in the community. An increasing number of patients with COVID are presenting to Emergency.
“If you think you may have COVID, take an antigen test from a pharmacy,” said Dr Patton. “Please do not come to the hospital seeking COVID testing.
“If you have COVID and are very sick, contact your primary care physician for advice. If you need emergency care, call us first at 239-2009 so we can take precautions to ensure you are cared for away from other patients and visitors.”
Mrs Richardson said: “Please remember our patients are more vulnerable to infections like COVID, flu and colds. All visitors are expected to wear a mask while at the hospital to help protect patients, staff and yourself. If you are sick – even if you think you might be sick – protect our patients and staff by not visiting until you are well again.”
Wednesday 12 March 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board today announced the appointment of Paul Jones as chief people officer. He is responsible for human resources, organisational development and strategy services, which previously were managed by the deputy CEO position. The deputy CEO position is no longer filled, meaning the number of executives at BHB remains the same. Mr Jones joins BHB on a five-year contract, and reports to the chief executive officer and president, Scott Pearman.
Mr Pearman comments: “I’m so pleased to welcome Mr Jones back to BHB. He has worked here previously and knows BHB and Bermuda very well. He has an excellent skill set for the challenges we face as an organisation, and relevant experience across the NHS in senior and strategic human resources leadership roles. Motivated, supported, appropriately compensated and well-trained staff deliver the best care and this is what Mr Jones will help us achieve.”
Mr Jones joins BHB following six years as chief people officer at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which employs over 11,500 staff and has 1,300 patient beds. He led the HR response to the global pandemic at the hospital, implemented succession and talent management strategies, introduced a new staff benefits package and a programme to improve the experience of staff and address long-standing concerns. This programme helped reduce employee turnover by a third and saw a 6% reduction in vacancies during his tenure.
Prior to this, Mr Jones has held senior human resources positions in the UK Government, Jersey and Qatar, as well as two previous roles in Bermuda, as the interim chief human resources officer between March 2011 and September 2012, and again between October 2014 and April 2015 as the executive advisor to a modernisation programme.
Mr Jones notes: “I’m very much looking forward to working with the Human Resources and Organisational Development teams in improving the employee experience at BHB. Like hospitals around the world, BHB has been through and continues to face many challenges. With 1,800 employees, who deliver Bermuda’s only 24/7 hospital services, the importance of making BHB a place people want to work is so important to delivering the very best services to our community.”
Originally from Liverpool, Mr Jones holds a master’s degree in international human resources management from the Bristol Business School. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He also has completed a human resource executive programme at the London Business School.
Friday 21 February 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board advises that due to unexpected staffing issues, the hyperbaric chamber at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will be closed until Monday 3 March 2025. We hope to be able to resume operation of the chamber after that date.
Anyone who is planning to dive over the next 10 days or so should be aware that hyperbaric treatment will not be available.
Thursday 6 February 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board advises the public that there will be no through traffic on the campus of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) between Point Finger Road and Berry Hill Road on Friday 7 February from approximately 1pm to 6pm.
Vehicles and pedestrians will be able to access the Emergency Department, the main Acute Care Wing entrance and the Acute Care Wing visitor parking lot from Point Finger Road.
The General Wing visitor parking lot will be accessible from Berry Hill Road.
To ensure safety, please adhere to all signage, barricades and directions of personnel at the site.
The road closure will facilitate two consecutive crane lifts, the first outside the Orthopaedic (Fracture) Clinic and the second by the General Wing lobby entrance. This will allow the replacement of an air handling unit and air unit coils.
From Your Future magazine: Bermuda Hospitals Board midwife Jennifer Ross originally set her sights on becoming an Emergency Room nurse, but that changed during her maternity rotation in nursing school.
“I immediately fell in love with labour and delivery,” she says.
Unlike other areas of nursing, midwives are most often part of a joyful experience for patients and their families. Recognising this, Jennifer pursued midwifery as her nursing speciality and hasn’t looked back since …
Thursday 18 July 2024: Bermuda Hospitals Board advises the public that there will be no through traffic on the campus of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital between Point Finger Road and Berry Hill Road from 7:30am until 12pm on Saturday 20 July 2024.
The closure is necessary to facilitate a crane lift of air handling units.
People will be able to access the Emergency Department, the main Acute Care Wing entrance and the ACW visitor parking lot from Point Finger Road.
The General Wing and adjacent visitor parking lot will be accessible from Berry Hill Road.
Access from Berry Hill Road will stop at the Botanical Gardens gate to KEMH.
Sunday 9 June 2024: Bermuda Hospitals Board has achieved accreditation in its 14th onsite survey by Accreditation Canada. The organisation has been accredited since the 1970s.
“Today is World Accreditation Day, and I am proud to announce that BHB has met all of the requirements for accreditation,” said BHB CEO and President R Scott Pearman. “It’s quite an achievement that the staff managed to maintain these rigorous standards during the 2019-2023 accreditation cycle, while working non-stop through a global pandemic, significant healthcare cost containment pressures and implementing an organisation-wide electronic medical record system that radically changed our way of working.”
From 6-10 November 2023, four independent surveyors assessed BHB against 26 sets of healthcare standards, 35 priority processes and 30 required organisational practices, a total of almost 3,800 applicable criteria. They spent time at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre and BHB’s group homes, observing staff, reviewing documents and files, and interviewing staff, patients and community partners.
The surveyors’ findings were then reviewed thoroughly by the Accreditation Canada team before an accreditation decision and preliminary report were issued. The decision committee requested the submission of additional evidence for some of the criteria, issuing their final decision of ‘Accredited’ in May 2024.
In their decision letter, the Accreditation Decision Committee said: “We congratulate you on this achievement that demonstrates your organization’s determination and commitment to ongoing quality improvement. We applaud your leadership, staff, and accreditation team members for their efforts and dedication to the provision of safe, quality health services.”
Mr Pearman said: “In addition to praising our pandemic response and successful electronic medical record implementation, the surveyors highlighted our adaptive and caring workforce, improvements in our laundry and pharmacy, and our 2021-2026 strategic planning process.
“They also commended our work on integrated healthcare pathways and our continuing efforts to develop integrated care in the community to reduce the need for emergency care and admissions for chronic diseases.
“However, the most important part of the accreditation process is its role in our vision ‘to pursue excellence through improvement, to make Bermuda proud.’ The surveyors bring a wealth of knowledge from healthcare organisations around the globe, helping us identify challenges and recommending improvements large and small.”
Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson added: “We have already started to investigate and implement many of their recommendations, building on work that began after the 2019 survey.
“Quality begins at the unit level, and we are continuing to roll out unit-based quality and safety teams throughout the organisation, including in non-clinical areas. We are also planning the expansion of our Wards of Excellence evaluation programme. Both programmes encourage creativity and collaboration in making improvements on the units, and sharing our successes and lessons learned.”
Mr Pearman said: “Another key change we have made since the survey is the introduction of our Quality and Innovation Committee, which will prioritise our work to further reinforce the accreditation standards in our everyday operations, to improve the quality and safety of the services we provide.
“Notably, we are leveraging PEARL, our electronic medical records system, to improve communication between hospital physicians and our patients’ physicians in the community, particularly their general practitioners.
“We are also moving ahead with our people-centred care strategy. The surveyors noted that patient-centred care is already well established at the treatment level. The strategy aims to incorporate the voices of patients and families at every level of decision making.”
Mrs Richardson said: “The staff are dedicated to providing the best possible care for our community every day. On top of that, they put in an incredible effort to ensure we were ready for accreditation, with every ‘i’ dotted and ‘t’ crossed. Since the survey, they have been busy putting the surveyors’ recommendations into practice with the help of our expert quality team. Like Scott, I am incredibly proud of our staff and our hospitals.”
Accreditation Canada will continue to work with BHB throughout the four-year accreditation cycle, reviewing evidence related to unmet criteria, providing feedback, and monitoring standards and practices to ensure the organisation continues to perform at the expected level.
Accreditation Canada is a non-profit organisation that works with the Ottawa-based Health Standards Organization, healthcare providers, policy makers and patients to improve the quality of healthcare services. More than 1,100 health and social service organisations in Canada and around the world have been accredited by Accreditation Canada with a goal of safer, high-quality healthcare. Accreditation Canada surveyors are volunteers who are healthcare professionals in senior clinical or administrative roles at other accredited organisations.
The accreditation report, decision letters and survey comparison table are available on the BHB website at bermudahospitals.bm > About BHB > Providing Safe Care (bermudahospitals.bm/about-us/about-us/quality-care-and-patient-safety/).
In addition to organisation-wide accreditation by Accreditation Canada, the BHB Pathology Department is accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), the Mammography Department is accredited by American College of Radiology (ACR), the Turning Point Substance Abuse Programme is accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and the Primary Stroke Centre achieved a Certificate of Distinction from Accreditation Canada.