Media Release: Bermuda Hospitals Board Engages Acumentice to Conduct Independent Emergency Department Review

Thursday 18 June 2026: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) has confirmed that Acumentice, a UK-based healthcare consultancy, has been contracted to conduct the independent operational review of the Emergency Department (ED) at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The engagement follows the Ministry of Health’s directive for an independent assessment to support immediate and sustained improvements within the Emergency Department. The review will take approximately six weeks to complete, with the external team expected to arrive in Bermuda in the coming weeks to begin on-site work.

Acumentice will examine patient flow, capacity pressures, operational processes, and opportunities to strengthen emergency care services. The review is intended to provide evidence-based recommendations that support frontline staff, improve patient experiences, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency care delivery.

As an independent statutory authority established under the BHB Act, BHB operates under its own governance framework, policies, and procurement procedures. While BHB is publicly funded and committed to transparency and accountability, it is separate from the Government of Bermuda and conducts procurements in accordance with its own Financial Instructions, General Orders, and Board-approved governance requirements.

To facilitate the time-sensitive review, BHB exercised its emergency procurement authority under an Exceptional Resolution adopted by the Board on 22 April 2026 authorizing the Chairman and the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the Board to oversee and conduct the procurement process. While the procurement process was expedited, it was conducted under a documented emergency procurement framework that incorporated defined evaluation criteria, governance safeguards, and oversight measures designed to adhere as closely as possible to the principles of transparency, fairness, accountability, integrity, competition, and value for money.

The procurement was conducted using a Competitive Negotiations approach, a recognized procurement method used by public authorities in Bermuda and consistent with established procurement practices. The process permits competitive negotiations where an urgent requirement makes open tendering impractical, provided the urgency was neither foreseeable nor caused by delay on the part of the procuring authority.  To ensure fairness, transparency, and effective competition, BHB conducted a structured process involving at least seven vendors. All participants received the same documentation, requirements, evaluation criteria, and responses to vendor questions. The process included blind scoring for shortlisting, interviews, reference checks, and contractual negotiations.

With respect to public disclosure, BHB remains committed to transparency and compliance with Bermuda’s Public Access to Information (PATI) legislation. Information regarding the contract awarded to Acumentice will be disclosed in accordance with BHB’s normal disclosure practices and statutory obligations, including publication of contract information through the mechanisms routinely utilized by BHB and reflected on the organization’s website.

The independent review comes as BHB continues to make progress in addressing longstanding pressures within the Emergency Department. Since the implementation of the Bed Capacity Management Plan, measurable improvements have been achieved across the hospital system. Median boarding times in the Emergency Department have decreased from approximately 50 hours earlier in 2026 to approximately 20 hours in May 2026, representing a reduction of about 60 percent.

Emergency Department overcrowding has also eased, supported by enhanced discharge processes and the introduction of a new discharge lounge. Most patients who are not admitted continue to be treated and discharged within a median of less than four hours, while admitted patients are experiencing significantly shorter waits as patient flow initiatives take effect.

A Bermuda Hospitals Board spokesperson said: “This independent review reflects our commitment to ensuring that the Emergency Department is equipped to meet current and future demands. The recommendations provided by Acumentice will help inform the next phase of improvements and support our goal of delivering a more responsive and sustainable healthcare system for all residents.”

The spokesperson continued: “Our staff have worked diligently to improve patient flow and address capacity challenges across the hospital, and we are encouraged by the progress that has already been achieved. This review provides an opportunity to benefit from external expertise and benchmark our operations against international best practices. We look forward to working with the Acumentice team and using their findings to identify practical measures that can further enhance efficiency, strengthen patient flow, and support the delivery of high-quality care.

Further updates will be provided once the review team arrives on the island and the assessment is formally underway. Once the review is complete, BHB will share the findings with the public. The Bermuda Hospitals Board remains committed to transparency and will provide an update on the findings at the conclusion of the review.

About Acumentice

Acumentice is a UK-based healthcare consultancy specialising in operational improvement, patient flow optimisation, and system redesign across hospital and clinical settings. The firm works with healthcare organisations to strengthen performance, reduce bottlenecks, and support sustainable service delivery through data-driven analysis and practical, frontline-focused solutions.

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