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Oncology staff are doing all they can for their patients
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From Deputy Anne Pryke, Minister for Health and Social Services.
I WRITE to clarify the situation surrounding the oncology unit at the Hospital and the situation regarding new patients, following letters of concern from readers.
It is important to offer reassurance, as many Islanders know someone, whether they are family or a friend, who have used or may be using the oncology service.
I was particularly concerned to see the reader’s letter (JEP, 7 February) about the alleged closure of the service to new patients. Please could I stress that although we cannot currently offer a chemotherapy service to new patients, this does not mean that the department is closed. New patients are registered for treatment through the unit, but sadly, because of the current staffing situation, which is explained below, we do have to send new patients for treatment in the UK at the moment. We regret this, but it is essential that patients who need treatment can have access to it as soon as possible.
At present the equivalent of three full-time nursing staff members are absent from work in the oncology service (this includes two full-time and two part-time staff members). This leaves three FTE staff as opposed to our normal establishment of six.
We have secured two full-time chemotherapy-qualified nurses to provide cover and are currently advertising for a third agency nurse to support the existing team. Securing specialist chemotherapy-trained nurses is difficult, however, because of a shortage throughout the UK.
Last month the three FTE nursing staff and two agency nurses, supported by our standard complement of a health care assistant, provided support and chemotherapy treatment to 22 patients. An additional nine patients were referred to the UK for treatment. Of these, four would have been referred in any event for clinical reasons. Our current staff shortages have therefore directly affected five out of 31 patients in January.
We know that for each of these patients, travelling to the UK is far from ideal. However, the priority is to start their treatment as soon as possible.
The current level of staff absence is mainly on health grounds, and it not known currently when absent staff will return to work. The department is, however, monitoring the service on a daily basis and, in addition to attempting to address the immediate capacity problems, it has developed a long-term staffing plan which includes:
• Increasing the existing nursing establishment in the oncology service from six FTE nursing staff to eight. An internal and external advertising campaign is currently under way.
• Investigating options for UK-based teams to provide specialist chemo-therapy services in the Island to minimise patient travel.
The success of the plan is, however, partly reliant on the Island’s ability to attract trained UK nurses. As I have said before, this is increasingly difficult due to the high cost of living in the Island.
In addition to the staffing plan, funding has been secured to relocate the oncology unit to another part of the hospital before the end of 2011. It is recognised that the unit currently operates in restricted space. Moving the unit will double the space available.
Regrettably, even with the best of forward planning, situations like this are sometimes unavoidable in a small Island with access to a limited workforce and limited facilities in the Island.
In the meantime, Islanders have my assurance that our staff are doing their utmost to minimise the impact on patients and to take the best care of them, their families and friends.
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