03 October 2022
The Minister for Health and Social Services has unveiled initial proposals in response to a report
which raised concerns about clinical governance and assurance on the quality and safety of care
in the hospital and related services.
The plan sets out the initial steps to accelerate the delivery of patient focussed change and
improvement. The changes will be wide ranging and delivered at pace, highlighting the
government’s commitment to these improvements.
The plan is focussed on the needs of patients and their families and presents a set of initial
actions, with a more detailed implementation plan to follow.
Some of the commitments in the plan include:
- Direct improvements to patient experiences, such as improving waiting times, formal and
informal feedback mechanisms for patients, and improved complaints handling
- A culture change programme for HCS, which will include the appointment of a Freedom
to Speak Up Guardian for staff and patients
- Getting the right mix of skills and clinical leadership through the creation of a sustainable
workforce plan for HCS, and following best practice in clarity of role and structures
- The development of service excellence standards and changes to systems and practices
to make sure they are being achieved and that the public can be assured.
The Minister will be appointing a new Health Board, which will provide independent assurance to
the Minister and the public on the quality and performance of the health system, with a fixed
term Chairperson and which will include independent members to follow. The Board will be an
important driver of change and will require an experienced chair and range of expertise amongst
the members.
Additional resources and expertise will provide the knowledge, skills and experience required to
deliver the change and turnaround required.
Launching the plan, Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson said: “For most clinicians and practitioners in HCS, the quality of patient
care, especially patient safety, is uppermost and I am mindful that many patients enjoy positive
health outcomes and interactions with healthcare professionals every day.
“However, the report provided evidence that we must go further to raise standards of quality
and safety so that all Islanders can expect a standard of care and service that can be found in
most modern health systems across the world. This can only be achieved through changing
many aspects of the service, the standards it works to and its accountability to the public,
supported by the participation and engagement of patients and staff.
“This plan is developed in direct response to what HCS
staff told Professor Mascie-Taylor about the things which need to improve. The report made
clear that, despite the hard work of staff, HCS’s clinical governance is poor and therefore Jersey
does not know if it receives the standards of healthcare it deserves.
“I know from feedback received that our staff want to do their best for Islanders, but they need
our support to deliver high quality patient care. Some of them have clearly told us that they see
the publication of Professor Mascie-Taylor’s report as an opportunity for change, but others
need to be convinced that we will act on the report.
"Transformation is successful when patients and staff are involved in shaping services and this
plan shows our commitment to improvement and how we will support our teams to deliver
patient focussed change.”
Notes:
The Minister’s plan is published in response to a report into clinical governance arrangements
within Health and Community Services, which was published in August 2022. The report by
Professor Hugo-Mascie Taylor made 61 recommendations, all of which were accepted by the
Minister.
The full report is available: Report into clinical governance arrangements within Health and Community Service
gov.je