A register of vulnerable Islanders needs to be established and frequently updated to ensure the government is able to protect residents most at risk during a crisis, it has said.
The government this month published the final update to its Crisis Resilience Improvement Plan, outlining progress in how the Island prepares for and responds to emergencies.
The original report was developed in response to the recommendations of the Independent Covid Review, which cost around £250,000.
It stated that “in an emergency, there is a high expectation that the government will both protect its most vulnerable and be sensitive to the needs of different communities”.
The report recommended that Jersey needs a “closer knowledge” of groups most likely to suffer in a crisis – including those living on the margins of the community, those with mental health issues, and overseas workers who have been in Jersey for less than five years.
The most recent update to the Crisis Resilience Improvement Plan explained that Statistics Jersey has produced more detailed population and migration data, including by residential status.
However, this has been created using aggregate data and could therefore not be used to identify or target individuals during a crisis.
The Crisis Resilience Improvement Plan update said: “Population health needs will continue to be investigated by Public Health, but a cross-government register of vulnerable people needs to be established and updated, to be available for use as required in emergency situations.”
There are plans to start a “Health in All Policies approach” in 2026 after the revision of the
Public Health Law, according to the report.
This approach to policymaking considers health impact in policy making across all different sectors that influence health.
The Crisis Resilience Improvement Plan update also explained that data sharing agreements between Health Groups and Environmental Health in relation to notifiable diseases was completed in November 2023.
“Public Health and Health and Social Services are now part of the new Health & Care
Jersey Department, which has automatically made some sharing activities easier and
simpler,” the report said.
A further data sharing agreement has now been developed to facilitate collaboration
between all entities that may be involved in a major incident.
These include privacy-compliant forms and guidance developed in coordination with Information Governance Officers which are due for final sign-off next month, the report said.
You can read the full Crisis Resilience Improvement Plan update online.
