A SENIOR doctor involved in the Island’s rehabilitation services was suspended 24 hours after a proposition to reinstate the facility at Overdale’s Samarès Ward, or somewhere similar, was passed by States Members.
The JEP understands that consultant physician Dr Mike Richardson was given a letter informing him of his suspension shortly after Senator Pallett’s proposals to relocate the services from the Hospital’s Plémont Ward and in the community received unanimous backing in the States.
Senator Pallett said he did not wish to speculate on the reason for the suspension, which remains unclear, but added that if it was related to his proposition, he would be ‘extremely disappointed’.
‘It would merely go to highlight what I spoke about in the debate about staff being scared to speak out,’ he added.
A government spokesperson said: ‘We cannot comment on individual staff members.’
This week, Health and Community Services had to cancel 40 patient appointments, which are now being rebooked in order of clinical priority.
The department said the need to cancel appointments was ‘unforeseen’ and has apologised for any inconvenience the steps may have caused.
Senator Pallett’s proposition came after a number of rehabilitation patients shared their experiences of the 14-bed unit at Plémont Ward and the care they had received within the community.
This service replaced the Samarès Ward facility, which closed in 2020.
Deputy Renouf had tried to block the potential return to Overdale with an amendment, which watered down Senator Pallett’s proposition.
However, he withdrew the proposals at the 11th hour after what Senator Pallett described as ‘rumblings of discontent within the Council of Ministers’.
Deputy Renouf is due to report on the progress made on enacting the move by 1 March.
