WOMEN will have access to a dedicated female ward in the Jersey General Hospital for the first time since before the pandemic.
The new surgical ward will open next week following a six-month renovation project and contains ten surgical beds to be used by women requiring surgical care.
It emerged earlier this year that plans to incorporate a minor operations theatre in the refurbishment had to be abandoned due to ventilation constraints in the General Hospital building. The operating suite will therefore remain within the Day Surgery unit.
Originally introduced as a dedicated gynaecology ward in 1991, Rayner Ward was designed to ensure that those who required hospitalisation for issues such as abortions and miscarriages were cared for with the required sensitivity and privacy.
But shortly before the pandemic, the area was merged with Portelet Ward to become the ‘Surgical Floor’ – a 26-bed general surgery ward treating male and female patients.
It comes as the Rayner Outpatients’ Department was also revamped and sits alongside the female ward, has been reconfigured to include two new medical treatment rooms and three consulting rooms.
A spokesperson for the Health Department said the project came in “under budget” at £2 million, and included the installation of new flooring, lighting and ceilings.
Assistant Health Minister Andy Howell, who has responsibility for women’s health, first confirmed that Rayner Ward would be reopening ahead of the publication of the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Assessment results late last year.
The results showed that over 1,650 survey respondents felt there were “systemic gender inequalities” in Jersey, including across the health system.
Survey respondents felt that topics such as menstruation, miscarriage, and menopause remain stigmatised, leaving many women without the care and support they need.
Announcing the re-opening, Deputy Howell told the JEP she is “thrilled for the women and girls on the island”.
“I am so pleased they now have their own special place in the hospital,” she added.
