FIFTEEN government employees were suspended on full pay last year – costing the taxpayer a total of £275,000.
And the JEP understands that one hospital doctor had been suspended for more than three years while still being paid.
Former health minister Ben Shenton said he was aware of a ‘senior health professional who had been suspended for three years and whose case remained unresolved’ but a spokesperson said they were unable to comment on what they described as ‘individual cases’.
Mr Shenton said that the information he had received came from a reliable source.
The release of the figures follows controversy surrounding the recent suspension of hospital consultant Dr Mike Richardson, which prompted the vice-chairman of the States Employment Board, Constable Richard Buchanan, to issue a statement emphasising that the matter was unrelated to the political debate concerning the provision of healthcare services from Samarès Ward.
He stressed that established procedures had to be followed in all cases of complaints involving clinicians, and that suspension was a neutral act from which no adverse inference should be drawn. Dr Richardson was due to return to work today having had his suspension lifted and the complaints made against him dismissed.
According to the government spokesperson, the percentage of suspensions in the government workforce of 7,600 amounted to 0.2% of the total wage bill and the payments made to suspended staff to 0.07%. They confirmed that 15 individuals employed by the government were suspended during the course of last year for an average period of 72 days and at a total cost of £275,000.
Four employees were currently suspended, they said.
‘Employees are only suspended when there is no alternative. Most investigations do not result in suspension. When suspending, we consider the seriousness of the complaint, the ability for a fair and independent investigation if the employee remains in work, if there may be safeguarding concerns, and the safety of continuing in role while matters are investigated. We also consider whether alternative duties can be assigned, consulting with professional or regulatory bodies where required (for example, this is the case for doctors),’ they said.
The JEP asked how long the currently suspended employees had been off work but the spokesperson declined to comment.
Under the government’s suspensions policy, review panels are established ‘to examine and review the process of suspension for all States employees’. The panels comprise a minimum of two members who are drawn from the public service, are independent of the department in which the suspended person is employed and are not conflicted.
Panels are required to meet on a monthly basis and suspensions will be reviewed if they are in place for 28 calendar days or more. They are reviewed at each subsequent review panel meeting until they are concluded.
The spokesperson confirmed that the panel had met monthly to consider each case individually
