Health – it’s all on board

Thursday 20th August 2009, 2:29PM BST.

Hunter Adam THE board of the Health and Social Services Department remains intact.

It was expected that the identity of the deputy understood to have handed in a resignation letter to the department would be confirmed yesterday.

But following an extraordinary meeting at corporate headquarters that lasted an hour-and-a-half, minister Hunter Adam (pictured) confirmed to the waiting media that no one had gone.

Reading from a prepared statement, he said: ‘All members acknowledged that there are difficult decisions ahead in order to continue to provide the Bailiwick with high standards of health and social care.

‘The HSSD minister is delighted that no members of the board have resigned and that all six members of the board will be going forward together to meet the challenges ahead.’

The department’s board has four other political members: Deputies Barry Brehaut, Andrew Le Lievre, and Mary Lowe and Alderney representative Richard Willmott, as well as non-voting member Bruce Mansell.

When quizzed on what had been the purpose of the hastily arranged board meeting after reading his statement, Deputy Adam said it was about ‘clarifying some issues which needed to be discussed’ including how to manage the intensive care unit at the hospital, which is full.’

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View more: Health news, Health And Social Services Department news.

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Molly

August 20, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Good to see that a Board are working for the good of the island and not throwing their toys out of the pram.

I have friends who work in health and there is increasing low morale among the staff: stories abound of proposed cost-cutting measures and ward managers having to write huge reports justifying every member of staff. The ICU is just another department – OK it might be full today but most of the time it has empty beds. Is that a reason to cut staff though – It is there as a safety net for those seriously injured/ill – as well as to ensure quality care following complicated surgery. The island only has one hospital and cannot (like UK hospitals) easily redirect patients to another hospital. Apparently millions of pounds are being spent on a new IT system that is probably going to be out of date in a few years as technology expands. Fixed costs (salaries, recruitment, accommodation, training, equipment etc) take the bulk of the budget – leaving little room for manouvre without cutting staff. Deciding where to cut staff is a challenge.

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