A “COMPLETE culture change” is the aim of work to respond to a highly critical report of Jersey’s Rheumatology Department, the Health Minister has admitted.
Deputy Tom Binet gave an update about work being carried out by the Health Department in the wake of a damning rheumatology report published earlier this year by the Royal College of Physicians.
The report detailed a lack of governance, increasing workloads, differing prescription guidelines to the UK and long MRI waiting lists, factors which contributed to hundreds of Jersey patients being misdiagnosed and wrongly given powerful drugs.
A number of recommendations had been undertaken, the minister said, with a reassessment of patients leading to some changes in diagnosis and medication, and the review of patients now set to widen, Deputy Binet said.
He added that improved governance was one of the leading aims of the response, and that this drive would cover the whole of the Health Department, with an action plan set to be published within six months of the original report’s publication date of 22 January.
Asked by Deputy Inna Gardiner about “a culture of reluctance to follow clinical guidelines”, Deputy Binet said: “It will require a complete cultural change, which is complicated, but is work that is in progress.”
Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked why the rheumatology response had not been included in the government’s Common Strategic Policy, published last week, with Deputy Binet saying the work was urgent and would be carried out regardless of whether it was in the policy or not.
The Health Minister was also asked about long waiting times at the Hospital pharmacy, another area where he insisted action was being taken to improve the situation.
Responding to a question from Deputy Montfort Tadier, Deputy Binet said that the number of prescriptions being dealt with by the pharmacy, and staffing problems, had led to a situation that was “thoroughly unacceptable”.
Short-term moves to improve the situation had already achieved some success in cutting waiting times, he added, with some staff having reversed their decisions to leave.
Discussions were also taking place with the Social Security Minister and her officials, Deputy Binet said, in a bid to provide other options to those who currently had to queue for prescriptions not available at any other pharmacy.
Potential moves that were being considered, he added, included the possibility of reintroducing weekend opening, and enabling prescriptions to be dispensed from the new Enid Quénault facility at Les Quennevais in St Brelade – although the latter would require a change to the law.
Deputy Louise Doublet highlighted the difficulties faced by around 250 Islanders who needed to attend the pharmacy monthly in order to obtain medication to help treat ADHD.
Deputy Binet said: “I am very aware of the issues surrounding ADHD and it’s being treated as a priority, but there is only so much you can do at any given point.”
The minister was also asked to update the Assembly about the maternity strategy that was currently being developed.
The strategy was nearly complete, he said, and a draft would be shared with key stakeholders next month ahead of publication in June.
He said that this was one of several areas across Health where higher levels of funding might be required, and that he would be returning to the Assembly to share details.
