Gynaecology consultant Neil MacLachlan and GP Jessica Langtree-Marsh have launched a women’s welfare and infertility clinic which they believe could serve as a forerunner for more care being delivered in the community.
Mr MacLachlan, who retired from the General Hospital earlier this year after more than 30 years’ service, is training Dr Langtree-Marsh in the use of an ultrasound scanner installed at the Indigo House surgery in St Helier.
Women will be able to seek help for a range of health matters such as heavy bleeding and pain when menstruating, scanning during the early stages of pregnancy and post-menopausal issues, as well as fertility advice.
With women currently facing delays of three to four months for a routine gynaecology appointment at the hospital after being referred by their GPs, Dr Langtree-Marsh believes patients could be spared an anxious wait. ‘Last month I was dealing with a patient who had to wait three-and-a-half weeks for a semi-urgent scan in hospital. She was very worried about this and had to be signed off work, but now we would be able to see her and perform a scan within days.’
Mr MacLachlan said he knew from his time at the General Hospital that many issues could be dealt with in a community setting if imaging equipment was available and could be used in a GP surgery.
‘There’s a lot of gynaecological and musculoskeletal work where there is only so much you can establish by examination and need to see what’s inside,’ he said.
A similar scheme in Denmark had been shown to reduce unnecessary referrals to hospital clinics by up to 50%, Mr MacLachlan said, adding that he hoped there would be an equivalent benefit in Jersey.
Patients can book an appointment at Indigo House to be charged at the standard rate for a GP visit, with scans costing an extra £100.
Dr Langtree-Marsh said the intention was to cover costs, including rent and servicing of the ultrasound machine, rather than make a profit, while Mr MacLachlan said that he was not charging for the time he was devoting to training.
‘I used to train doctors in the hospital in the 1990s,’ he said. ‘It’s nice to be back doing it again and training doctors who are based in the community and are committed to Jersey.’
Both medics said they hoped the scheme would serve as a blueprint for transferring large amounts of care to community settings – in line with the proposed Jersey Care Model – and said they hoped that the Health Department would engage with projects and provide funding.
The clinic can be contacted by email on gynaecology@indigo.gpnet.je or calling 730541.
