EMBATTLED Health Minister Tom Binet came under fire in the States yesterday – a day after a JEP investigation revealed yet another scandal embroiling his department.
Deputy Binet admitted that although a damning report into the Hospital’s Radiology Department by the Royal College of Radiologists had been given to his department in late January, it took him more than two months to sit down with the Health executive handling the debacle, deputy medical director Simon West.
In an exclusive report published by this newspaper on Monday, we revealed that Health recalled 20 women after reviewing over 2,700 breast cancer scans carried out by a radiologist at the Hospital. A further 14 women were notified that their breast cancer diagnosis was initially missed, in some cases delaying treatment for up to a year.
The JEP’s reporting prompted an urgent question in the States yesterday from Deputy Lucy Stephenson, calling for an update.
In his response, Deputy Binet suggested that the problems at the Hospital may not be over.
“There are numerous problems to be overcome at the Health Department and there is no doubt that other issues will emerge before things settle down,” Deputy Binet said.
Referring to the Radiology Department specifically, Deputy Binet said that while “some actions are easy, [others] will require further investigation and support over a period of time”.
The latest scandal comes just months after a scathing report by the Royal College of Physicians into Jersey Hospital’s Rheumatology Department was finally published by the government in January, nearly two years after complaints were made about the department by a member of staff.
It found that the standard of care at the department was “well below what was […] acceptable”, and cited a number of specific failures, including incorrect diagnosis of patients, the inappropriate prescribing of medicine and a lack of basic training.
Health has still not published the Royal College of Radiology report nearly six months since it received the results in January 2024, which followed a complaint by a member of staff in August 2023. The JEP has tried to obtain it under the Freedom of Information Act, but the request has so far been declined.
The JEP has known about the existence of the RCR report and the allegations in it since May 13, but agreed not to publish until all patients involved had been contacted. Health confirmed on Monday that all patients affected had now been informed.
Sources have told the JEP that the report contains damning accusations about the way the Radiology Department is run, including rampant infighting between staff and a lack of a functioning cross-checking procedure for critical breast cancer scans.
Health initially committed to publishing the report in full after the meeting of the Health Advisory Board in July, but speaking yesterday Deputy Binet said that “full details of the recommendations” made by the RCR would be published in July.
The JEP has asked for clarity from Health on whether the report in its entirety will be published or just the recommendations but had not received a response by the time this newspaper went to print.
Deputy Binet came under fire from a number of politicians over the scandal in the States Assembly. Deputy Hilary Jeune pointed to a response to a question in the States earlier in June when he said he thought there was “nothing of massive concern” about other clinical areas in Health.
He replied that he stood by the response as the matters concerned were “historical”.
“It’s my job to ensure patients aren’t put in a state of panic and I think this has been handled sensitively,” he said.
Deputy Montfort Tadier meanwhile accused the Health Minister of “opinion management” in not releasing details about the report sooner, but Deputy Binet said this was “preposterous” and that patients had the right to know about the issue before it was made public.
During the same sitting, the Health Minister appeared unsure about the status of the radiologist who prompted the RCR review, commenting that “he did not know the precise details” – despite the fact that his department’s media release on Monday specified that the radiologist was still working at the Hospital, although he is no longer involved in mammography screenings.
Resignations
It has not been an easy year for Health, or for Deputy Binet, who was hit by the resignation in May of the clinical lead of Jersey Hospital’s so-called “change team”.
Professor Simon Mackenzie was part of the five-person team of consultants brought in after a damning report in August 2022 revealed concerns about management and working culture in the department.
Prof MacKenzie declined to comment to the JEP about his reasons for leaving, but it is understood that he cited a lack of support from Health and the minister.
“I am thankful to Professor Mackenzie for his work. I understand that in parting, the professor has used his resignation letter to claim he was not being personally supported. This is not an accurate reflection of the facts,” Deputy Binet said in a statement.
Prof Mackenzie was just the latest in a string of resignations from the embattled department.
On 3 April, 2024, the head of a board set up to oversee improvements in the Health Department, Tom Hayhoe, stepped down after just a month in the job.
Deputy Binet blamed “differences in working styles” for the departure of Mr Hayhoe.
In November last year, Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan resigned over the department’s “indefensible misuse of taxpayer’s money”.
And in March 2023, Jersey’s director of health and its chief nurse, Caroline Landon and Rose Naylor, stood down.
Change team
Prof Mackenzie was one of five consultants brought in following an independent review of the quality and safety of clinical services provided at the General Hospital conducted by Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor, who was employed on a £1,440 day rate for three days per week.
In August 2022, Prof Mascie-Taylor raised serious concerns about management and working culture within the Health Department, including of bullying and bias against standardisation.
As a result, Prof Mackenzie and four others – Cathy Stone, Beverley Edgar, Chris Bown, and Obi Hasan – were brought to the Island to turn the Hospital around.
The JEP revealed in March 2023 that the total cost of the team, which were not given specific performance targets, would be £200,000 over three months, and that if the team remained in place until December 2023 the cost would be £800,000, £160,000 per consultant for the year.
Although it was intended for the five to stay for just 12 months, on 30 March 2023 Mr Bown was made chief officer of HCS on a 12-month fixed-term contract.
As of last month, Mr Bown, Ms Stone and Mr Hassan remained in senior roles at HSC, while Beverley Edgar, who was HR lead on the change team, left in March 2024. The JEP has attempted to contact Ms Edgar to ask her about her reasons for leaving the department.
