| Author |
Message |
Anon
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 - 04:14 pm: |   |
BECAUSE of my age, I have a number of friends who have osteoarthritis in various parts of their bodies. Many of you reading this will know how it feels to have raw bone surfaces rubbing together. Briefly, it's agony, like toothache that never ends, only getting worse all the time.
If you talk to a knowledgeable medical practitioner, he will tell you that being in constant pain burns up your 'happy hormone', serotonin, in the same way that old cars burn up petrol with the choke full on, and this will inevitably lead to depression.
To get treatment and relief from excruciating pain is always difficult and I'm surprised there aren't suicides at this point.
You see your doctor and she/he refers you to the pain clinic or a physio-therapist, or both.
We have exceptional people at the pain clinic, but they can only do so much towards getting you treatment after an initial X-ray.
Everything possible is done to avoid a joint replacement, including leaving people to endure pain, which is virtually unbearable. Why? Because a joint replacement will last for only 15 years.
My friends say, I want my life back now. I may not be alive in 15 years' time.
I want to be out of pain now and I want to go back to work now.
It isn't the pain clinic staff who are so adamantly against joint replacement, but the surgeons.
What they say is that until you get to grade four, you aren't eligible and under 60 is a definite no, no - no matter how much pain you're in, how little your quality of life or how your work and health are affected.
What you have to do is to beg and plead with your doctor, your physiotherapist and anyone else you can think of.
It does no good to go to a States deputy. You'll see someone, but if my friend's experience is anything to go by, they won't even examine you at the consultation. You'll be asked where it hurts and told you aren't nearly bad enough.
One day there will be a machine which will measure how much pain a patient is in. However, will the doctors take any notice?
I think it needs actual experience of a patient's pain by telepathy before people will have any feelings towards osteoarthritic patients.
Name and address withheld. |
Deputy Mike Hadley
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, May 25, 2009 - 11:05 am: | |
I MUST reply to the letter from Lynn Lewendon of 21 May.
I am sorry that she feels embarrassed by her statements but the facts are:
It is not true to say that I have been persistent in requesting information from Mrs Lewendon.
I had been made aware by a number of professional staff that there were concerns about the resuscitation of newborn babies.
She told your reporter that she had turned to me for help.
I have spoken to her on about three occasions.
On each occasion I asked if she minded talking to me and on every occasion she confirmed that she was happy to do so.
On the occasion that I spoke to her husband he said that she was not happy with the publicity and did not want to discuss the matter further. I immediately said that I would therefore not call again.
On no occasion did Mrs Lewendon ever suggest that I talk to her line manager. In fact I was made aware of the issues because of a lack of help and support from her managers at HSSD.
I urge anyone interested in this issue to read the Guernsey Press report when Mrs Lewendon told your reporter that the HSSD had made life difficult for her.
I used the information given by Mrs Lewendon in as sensitive a way as possible.I spoke to the minister of Health and Social Services in October asking him to deal with the matter behind closed doors.
I have never used the information in an inappropriate way.
This issue is unfortunately now in the public domain solely because the chief officer and four members of the HSSD board chose to take the issue up with the Code of Conduct Committee.
I am very surprised at the statements made in the letter and can only assume that a well meaning person has advised Mrs Lewendon that she is in breach of her contract by speaking out to the Guernsey Press.
DEPUTY MIKE HADLEY |
Lynn Lewendon
Guest
| | Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 11:43 am: | |
HAVING now read the Guernsey Press and been hugely embarrassed by the embellishments and accusations that Deputy Hadley has made to the Guernsey public in my name, I would like to reply to these and ask that the people of Guernsey be made aware of the following:
* Deputy Hadley contacted me, while still a member of the HSSD board, requesting information regarding clinical risk management and patient safety concerns that he had. I spoke to him at that time with the knowledge of my line manager. It is the way that Deputy Hadley has used this information that has 'made life difficult for me', and not HSSD.
* I have a seven-year licence and chose to leave after five years as HSSD could not guarantee an extension to my licence and I was therefore unwilling to take the risk of uprooting my children once they were even more settled than they currently are.
As both have severe autism, it is especially important that this is well managed.
* Deputy Hadley has been persistent in requesting further information from me since I last spoke to him and I have advised him on several occasions that he should request this information from senior managers for that service and not through me.
He phoned my home on Thursday night and my husband told him that I did not want to speak to him and that I was annoyed with his continuing requests for information from me.
He apologised and said he wouldn't bother me again - but it was obviously too late as the story had been printed.
* The figure of 18 neonatal resuscitations he has quoted seems a strange coincidence as I quoted a figure of 18 unexpected admissions to NICU last year in separate hospital correspondence that he was not party to.
As my husband advised on BBC Guernsey, we have never asked Deputy Hadley to speak on our behalf and those who know me are well aware that I am more than capable of speaking for myself.
As a professional I have a code of conduct, which is important to me, and I am grateful to all those friends and acquaintances who have contacted me to offer their support and friendship over the past few days.
Both I and my family have many fond memories of Guernsey and my husband and I are extremely grateful for the kindness and support shown to us by so many during the difficult times we have had, discovering both our children have a severely-disabling lifelong condition.
I would therefore like to thank HSSD and all my colleagues and especially the child development service, paediatricians, speech and language therapists, dental department, ophthalmology, occupational therapists, child psychology service and school nurses as well as the Education Department, teachers at Le Rondin, staff at the respite services and everyone who has helped make our children the best they can be.
LYNN LEWENDON |
Fiona Robertson
Guest
| | Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2009 - 11:41 am: | |
I CAN speak only for myself and the opinions expressed within this letter are my own.
I am becoming tired of the constant bickering that is being reported in the Guernsey Press about housing licences related to the Health and Social Services Department, so I can only assume members of the public will also be tired of hearing about it.
I work within the department and a huge amount of my time is dedicated to the whole process of recruitment and getting the right nurses with the best skills into the jobs that we have available.
There is an international shortage of nurses and this is becoming more and more evident each time I receive my nursing magazine through the letter box.
Countries that rarely advertise for nurses are now popping up and offering excellent remuneration packages - even I am tempted.
In addition, I genuinely believe that the 'credit crunch' is deterring the movement of nursing staff, as our application rate appears to have dropped off; I can only attribute this to the present situation most people find themselves in.
Yes, some of the problems relate to the housing licence issue, but it is much bigger than this and giving out numerous 15-year licences will not solve the problems that Guernsey faces in recruiting appropriately and adequately skilled nurses.
It may bring in a few extra nurses, but will not fill the number of vacancies that we have for nurses.
Without droning on too much, I would like to set the record straight from my perspective as a nurse and from the comments that the staff working with me make:
* Our overseas nurses are happy to live in 'student' type accommodation - the cheaper the better - and often they will move into even cheaper accommodation because the purpose of working in Guernsey (other than enhancing their clinical skills) is to send money home to families. Others like having a large disposable income and, if I could, I would perhaps consider moving back into such accommodation.
* Giving all nurses/health care workers a 15-year licence would not solve the problem as the majority of nurses who reside in accommodation could not afford on their salary to rent/buy in the present market. You might get a licence with a high TRP and suitable properties are hard to come by.
This often baffles me. If we are saying someone is essential and give them a 15-year licence which means that they are treated as 'local', why do we then place restrictions on what properties they can buy and rent? Who can find a cheap house in Guernsey regardless of the TRP value?
* Many staff have lived in accommodation for some 10-15 years and this suits them; they choose to pay a lower rent and tolerate communal living. I am sure that had they wanted a licence they would have been granted one as they are all in senior positions for which, in the present climate, I am unlikely to be able to recruit should they choose to leave.
* The relocation package is only available to nurses moving into the island; the 'local' nurses receive no accommodation subsidy and only an annual bonus of approx £750 (before tax), which is paid in February and is usually just enough to clear the debt accumulated over Christmas. Nurses' salaries, while slightly higher in Guernsey than in the UK, when compared (in my opinion) to other jobs that would carry equal levels of responsibilities for the 'lives' that we care for fall considerably short.
That said, in the present economic climate it is not the right time to be fighting for large pay rises for any public sector workers.
* Immigration constraints mean highly skilled nurses are having to leave the island after four years, or less if they have already spent some time in the UK. While I fully understand the need to control the population within the island, this causes an added burden on the service. It also deters some nurses from coming to the island as the years accumulated in Guernsey are often not recognised by the UK government towards an 'indefinite stay'.
* Having recently spent a week in the UK, I would also dispute the 'shopping basket' comparison often offered to measure the cost of living.
Be honest, here the basics here are more expensive - food, utilities, clothes etc. I went to Asda, had a full trolley and spent half of what my weekly shopping costs in Guernsey.
Again, that said, if we start looking for cost of living subsidies within nursing, then we would be opening the door for all public sector workers and this is something taxpayers cannot afford at this time.
* In addition, if we recruit internationally, we have to provide nurses with a six-month adaptation programme and we can then only keep them on island for up to a further three-and-a-half years before they will have to leave. Many do not want to leave, but have to start looking for work at around the three-year mark. If we recruit large numbers like this, then in four years we will face the same staffing crisis when the nurses have to leave.
A six-month adaptation programme is a costly and huge commitment for us, only to then ask the nurses to leave the island in a relatively short period of time. Thankfully some of the nurses we recruited on the initial recruitment drive in the Philippines have gained their indefinite stay in the UK and opted to return to the island. If I may say, these are the nurses for whom we should be fighting to get 15-year licences as they are committed to the island and enjoy the life here, but because they are 'junior' nurses they are unlikely to be granted a licence.
* I know of many nurses who moved here and then met local partners; have they stayed in nursing? No - they are all working in the finance sector and earning considerably more than a qualified nurse. There is no incentive for locally-qualified nurses to remain in or return to the profession.
As I previously stated, there is no 'package' for locals other than the February bonus. Many local nurses (and I include myself in this) do tolerate this because they genuinely love their job and the other rewards it brings.
To summarise, (and I apologise for droning on), there are many facets to this argument about how we entice people to come to live and work in Guernsey within the health care sector.
While I do not believe that money is the only answer, as this will not solve the immigration or housing difficulties that we encounter, I do often wonder why the finance sector doesn't struggle to recruit and retain staff and perhaps this is to do with the monetary rewards they receive.
Please stop arguing about the licences and let's look at the bigger picture. Unless we are able to address all the problems that affect recruitment, we can have as many 15-year licences as we want but still not be able to fill our vacancies. Unfortunately I am not able to offer any solutions (this is for the States to do) except for me to continue to use the skills I have to try to recruit the right nurses into the right posts so that the Guernsey public receives the standard of nursing care that they deserve.
FIONA ROBERTSON,
nurse. |
Deputy Mike Hadley
Guest
| | Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 02:52 pm: | |
AS A member of the States in his first term, I have clearly much less experience than former deputy and former Minister of Health and Social Services Peter Roffey.
However, I do strongly disagree with his assessment of the role and power of a minister.
He states that the minister has one vote and implies that he or she has no more power that other members of the board.
In fact one could argue that the power of our 'ministers' is greater than that of a UK government minister.
Firstly, a government minister in the UK can be easily removed at will by the prime minister.
This is a powerful tool to ensure that ministers toe the line and carry out the required policy.
Here, we constantly hear Deputy Trott bemoaning the fact that he has no such power and that our ministers can operate in their own fiefdom.
Secondly, ministers sit on the Policy Council with a major say in the agenda that is brought before the Assembly, together with an ability to appoint members of committees.
Thirdly, the real power of our ministers comes from the knowledge that they acquire from their civil servants and an ability to set the agenda.
A tradition of a cosy symbiotic working relationship between the minister and the chief officer has built up which leads to a lack of transparency and can work against the public interest.
It is in the interest of the minister to protect his or her senior civil servants so that the minister is provided with the information and power to appear in control. It is then difficult for other board members to argue with the combined forces ranged against them.
Finally, any dissent can soon be quashed by reminding members that they are all members of the government and should work in a corporate way.
DEPUTY MIKE HADLEY |
Deputy Hunter Adam
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 02:32 pm: | |
Unfortunately, certain parties have implied that the so-called 'hospital staffing crisis' has 'just been pushed aside for the past year', but this is not the case.
We are currently 65 nurses short of full complement - but we were 80 nurses short of full complement at the same time last year.
This progress has been achieved with the help of the Housing Department and the Public Sector Remuneration Committee, in that we have been working together over the past year to improve the overall package available to nurses in Guernsey.
As a result, we have secured some 15-year licences for some nurses and also some five-year licences for other nurses who would otherwise have had to live in HSSD accommodation.
Similarly, with the PSRC, we have been able to negotiate salaries, incentive initiatives and loyalty bonuses - all designed to help us to compete with those other, potentially more attractive, jurisdictions.
This has been made possible by the nursing unions' agreement to break away from pay parity with the UK and to have local pay negotiations instead.
The HSSD has also developed improved nurses' accommodation, in the form of flats and bedsits, both on-site at John Henry House and also at locations near to the PEH and to other HSSD sites.
With the help of these initiatives, a recent recruitment drive in the UK and Eire has enabled us to recruit 23 new nurses - and we are actively investigating overseas nurse recruitment.
We also have 30 nurses in training at the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies, of whom 20 are due to qualify in November; there will also be another 20 trainee nurses starting their course in September.
In addition, we expect eight local nurses (who have had some time away from the job) to return to practice this year.
So, as you can see, it is quite wrong to suggest that the HSSD has done nothing to address this problem.
To again put the current position in context, the PEH has 200 hospital beds, of which just 10 have had to be closed temporarily. The report of 12 months ago highlighted concerns about future staffing; work has been ongoing to address those concerns and this work will continue.
Deputy Hunter Adam,
HSSD Minister |
Anon
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 02:31 pm: | |
I CAN'T believe that the hospital staff crisis has just been pushed aside for the past year.
Surely, to have a well-staffed hospital and nursing homes is one of the top priorities in this island.
Nurses have very intensive training to become qualified, but the wages here are very minimal for the work that is carried out, and where would we be without the auxiliary nurses, radiology, pathology, physio, the cleaners on the wards and the staff in the nursing homes?
They are saving lives, working long hours, caring for their patients. It seems to me that if they were appreciated more and paid a decent wage for their good work then maybe there wouldn't be such a crisis.
It seems to me that most of the problems are with the pay, for local staff or staff brought to this island through agencies etc. Staff quarters and the staff coming to the island to work for the Board of Health are being given a limited time to work in the island. I know that we need to bring in people from other regions, but if they were given a good package, with a higher salary, decent staff accommodation plus bonuses to show they are appreciated, and no limits to the time they work in the island (in the nursing profession), then maybe things would be much better.
It is a frightening thought to think that if you fall ill, have an accident or are just getting older and can't look after yourself, then will there be enough staff to care for you?
Name and address withheld. |
Barbara Gore
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 02:31 pm: | |
THE following rhyme I remember from my St Luke's C/E School days.
A very special friend of mine repeated it to another schoolgirl while she was a prefect at school in Greyshott, Hampshire.
At some time I must have told her.
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases,
Trap your germs in your handkerchief.
We should be thinking of this always, especially at the present time.
BARBARA GORE |
Jeanine Black
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 10:14 am: | |
ON THURSDAY 16 April 2009 Sue Coryndon of BBC Radio Guernsey had discussions with Mr and Mrs Colin Le Bachelet and another lady.
I listened to the discussion with great interest and compassion, having experienced very similar circumstances myself.
I wish to congratulate Radio Guernsey for allowing these heart-rending situations and experiences to be discussed on air.
I belong to MHSUG, a voluntary group, who are pressing for a new psychiatric hospital etc. in Guernsey.
Personally I am very passionate about this and I strongly reiterate all the needs discussed by the aforementioned people.
Depression is an illness and there is a stigma both relating to the illness itself and the present buildings at the
Castel.
However, I should like to say that the limited personnel who are employed in the role of assisting clients, either in or out of Albecq Ward, together with the day centre and other offices etc., are, in my opinion, doing what they can to help and they are generally short staffed and under pressure.
I am one of the lucky ones; with help and my own determination and positive attitude, I no longer require medication. Now I have a renewed and very active and rewarding life. While the help clients get is not always correct there is a 'light' at the end of the tunnel - if only you desire it and are able to receive the right compassion and assistance.
I pray to God that the powers that be in Guernsey seriously consider the importance of this situation and elect to provide the necessary funds urgently required to provide Guernsey with the new hospital etc., without any further delay.
In conclusion, with reference to another matter recently published, I was disgusted and angry to read the story pertaining to the family who had placed flowers and shells under a granite memorial seat in memory of their son and father, Tuesday 28 April 2009, there is another article with reference to, and I quote, 'Saints Harbour plaque in memory of 15 year-old boy taken'.
What has happened to compassion? There is enough misery in the world and these incidents should never have occurred.
I also wish to commend Faith Feak and Joyce Gaskin for their letters, which were printed in the Guernsey Press.
JEANINE BLACK |
Deputy Hunter Adam
Guest
| | Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 11:58 am: | |
Your reader has unfortunately misunderstood as the HSSD did not report that the cessation of the RHA with the UK would result in a saving of about £5m.
The Guernsey Press reported that figure, again perhaps misunderstanding the information supplied, but kindly printed a correction the following day when the error was pointed out to it.
The HSSD has indeed been paying UK providers of health and social care services around £6m. per annum for the treatment of all Bailiwick residents treated there - both when they sustained injury or illness while in the UK and when they were transferred to the UK for services that are not available locally.
Meanwhile, the UK Government has been paying Guernsey around £1m. per annum for the treatment of UK residents who have been injured or taken ill while in the Bailiwick.
Hence there was indeed a difference of £5m.
However, following the cessation of the RHA, Guernsey will still be funding the cost of people referred to the UK for services that are not available locally.
What Guernsey will no longer have to pay for is the cost of treatment for Bailiwick residents sustaining injury or illness while in the UK as this will have to be paid in future by those residents themselves.
The proportion of Bailiwick residents injured or taken ill while in the UK is very much smaller than the number referred for treatment not available locally.
Therefore, Guernsey will continue to pay almost as much as the £6m. that it has been paying.
The difference made by the cessation of the RHA is that Guernsey will now be charging directly UK residents injured or taken ill while in the Bailiwick, rather than charging the UK Government for that treatment.
There may, however, be some people from whom it may not be possible to obtain payment.
Hence, the overall saving will be minimal, if any, and certainly will not be anywhere near £5m.
Your reader says he/she 'understands that HSSD have taken the decision in good faith' - however, there was no decision for the HSSD (or the States as a whole) to take, as the UK Government presented the HSSD with a fait accompli by giving notice that the reciprocal health convention would be terminated.
Deputy Hunter Adam,
Health and Social Services Department minister |
Neil Turner
Guest
| | Posted on Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 11:58 am: | |
HSSD has reported that the ending of the reciprocal health agreement with the UK will result in 'savings' of about £5 million per year.
Islanders will, presumably, continue to fall ill in the UK at something around the same rate so that this is not so much a 'saving' as a transfer of costs from the States to the individual.
I am guessing that the States will not return this money to us in the form of a reduction in income tax so this is actually a tax increase of nearly £100 per person.
Some people will feel that this is entirely appropriate, given the current black hole in the States finances.
However, others will be concerned that people who cannot afford insurance (or are too ill to be accepted by insurers) may feel unable to travel to the UK.
I understand that HSSD has taken the decision in good faith but, given the wider implications for general taxation, I wonder whether it would have been better to bring the matter before the States as a whole.
NEIL TURNER |
Joyce Gaskin
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, April 27, 2009 - 02:03 pm: | |
MANY people have been very affected by a local family's heart-rending account on Radio Guernsey of a young man who committed suicide as a result of mental illness, and are asking what can be done to avoid this situation happening to other vulnerable people in our community. Here are some suggestions as to what we can do.
Lobby our States members to put mental health issues at the top of their agenda. Specifically, these are some of the most urgent issues which they need to address:
a. Enact an up-to-date mental health law, which gives services users and their families the protection and respect they deserve and supports carers, service providers and law enforcers.
b. Provide the funds for new premises without compromises, excuses or delays. The accommodation at the Castel Hospital is inadequate and depressingly out of date. People suffering with mental illness need facilities that offer privacy and comfort. This must be a number one building priority for Guernsey. The money is available - we must make sure it is not diverted to other projects.
c. Ensure that housing licences meet requirements so that there are sufficient consultants, nurses and therapists at all times. Essential to recovery is continuity of care and prompt access to professional help. Let's get rid of these ridiculous short-term housing licences. Recruitment and retention can be a problem. We should offer a recruitment package which will attract the best in the profession - this will be less expensive than the cost of locums.
We need to recognise the good work done by the staff at the Castel Hospital. Poor conditions affect morale and recruitment. We should provide an environment that allows them to offer a service they can be proud of.
Mental health can affect anyone, any time. It changes lives. Sufferers lose jobs, friends and self-respect. Relationships break down as families struggle to cope with loved ones who are no longer the people they knew. Everyone can play their part by giving time to helping a local mental health charity, or donating from fund-raising efforts. Employers might consider whether they can provide part time jobs in a supported environment where people can go back to work.
Due to perceived stigma many families are reluctant to ask for help. We need to open up the debate and create an environment where mental illness is no longer the hidden condition. Only then will it get the attention in our society that it deserves.
JOYCE GASKIN,
Hon. Secretary,
GSF Mental Health Fellowship. |
Deputy Hunter Adam
Guest
| | Posted on Friday, April 24, 2009 - 02:43 pm: | |
I REFER to the Opinion column published in the Guernsey Press on Monday 13 April, where it refers to the HSSD's wishes to replace Oberlands House and our submission to the capital prioritisation process.
Firstly, I would like to clarify that the £5.3m. you refer to is for three homes in the community, two of which are to replace Oberlands House and one which was intended to provide accommodation for service users returning from the UK. In your Opinion column, you ask: 'Why is the States not approaching the private sector to provide this facility?' In the island there is very limited private residential care provision for people with disabilities. The HSSD currently provides nearly all such accommodation. The department is not aware of anyone in the private sector who is willing to provide this sort of accommodation and has certainly not been approached with this in mind. However, the HSSD would give consideration to this and would be interested to receive any expressions of interest.
In relation to your comments on care homes already providing services privately and that there is evidence that they do so more cheaply, I would question whether a private enterprise wishing to make a profit would be able to undertake these services as cost-effectively as the HSSD for this client group, unless the care staff were poorly paid, although a not-for-profit organisation probably could compete with our costs.
You also indicate that some of the capital projects clearly fall into the private sector category and have not been knocked back as a result. Should the replacement Oberlands House fall into this category as you suggest and the development does not take place for whatever reason, it could ultimately delay the replacement of adult mental health facilities to which it is inextricably linked in terms of the department's development programme.
DEPUTY HUNTER ADAM,
Health and Social Services Minister. |
Deputy Dave Jones
Guest
| | Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 02:28 pm: | |
I REFER to the letter from Deputy Hadley published in the Guernsey Press on Saturday 18 April.
As is frequently the case with his public utterances, Deputy Hadley's letter contained a number of significant inaccuracies and false claims about the Housing Department's dealings with the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) and its staff.
I would, therefore, be grateful if you would publish this letter to set the record straight.
Health and safety manager
Deputy Hadley claimed:
* The Housing Department refused to extend the seven-year licence of a 'health and safety officer'.
* There was an 18-month delay before the current postholder was appointed.
Facts:
* January 2002 - the post of health and safety manager was granted a five-year licence.
* February 2006 - the Housing Department agreed to extend the licence for this post to seven years (until March 2009).
* January 2008 - HSSD applied for this licence to be further extended to 15 years.
* March 2008 - that application was turned down by the Housing Department and the postholder left the post (of their own volition and a year ahead of the licence expiring).
* May 2008 - the Housing Department agreed a five-year licence 'in principle' for their replacement.
* October 2008 - the Housing Department turned down a request for a seven-year licence for the post but agreed/reaffirmed that a five-year licence would be available.
* March 2009 - HSSD recruited to the post on a five-year licence.
Nurse consultant in pain management
Deputy Hadley claimed:
* The Housing Department refused a 15-year licence for a 'pain control nurse'.
* A suitable candidate had been found but had been refused a five-year licence.
Facts:
* November 2008 - the Housing Department turned down a 15-year licence for the post of nurse consultant in pain management but agreed a five-year licence 'in principle' for the post. No suitable candidate had, at that time, been identified.
* December 2008 - the Housing Department reconsidered the application and agreed a 15-year licence 'in principle' for the post: again, no suitable candidate had, at that time, been identified.
* March 2009 - HSSD successfully recruited to the post on a 15-year licence.
Conditions attached to the housing licence for a consultant psychiatrist
For reasons of confidentiality, I cannot respond fully to Deputy Hadley's claims about the manner in which the Housing Department dealt with this case.
However, I can categorically deny that the staff who met with the couple dealt with them 'quite brutally' and 'sent (them) packing'.
I can also say that the issues surrounding the property they could occupy were settled within three weeks and not six months as claimed by Deputy Hadley.
Flexibility on housing licences
Deputy Hadley noted that a report to the HSSD board in April 2008 called for 'more flexibility on housing licences'.
Facts:
* March 2008 - the Housing Department agreed a new policy by which some nurses who would otherwise have to be housed in HSSD accommodation could be accommodated in the community on five-year housing licences.
* July 2008 - in response to recruitment difficulties, the Housing Department agreed a new policy by which housekeeping staff employed by HSSD could be issued with longer licences (three years as opposed to nine months).
* Since the beginning of 2009, the Housing Department has agreed no fewer than 13 15-year licences for HSSD posts.
Conclusions
From the above, I ask your readers to draw their own conclusions as to whether the Housing Department or Deputy Hadley is the more reliable source of information where housing licences for HSSD are concerned.
DEPUTY DAVE JONES,
Minister, Housing Department. |
Faith Feak
Guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 03:15 pm: | |
I WOULD like through your columns to thank those people who spoke so openly and courageously on Guernsey Radio last week about their experiences with mental health treatment, the parents of a young man who took his own life, and a young woman who had suffered from depression.
Having been involved with mental health services for some 30 years, I can say that things have improved enormously, and we must thank some wonderful staff we have working against the odds, but the stories will go on of desperate people being asked to wait two or three weeks to be seen.
Perhaps we need more consultants. We have had a number of good recently trained consultant psychiatrists come to the island and leave again. Why?
Is it the state of our ancient hospital that puts them off, or the outdated Mental Health Law or insufficient length of housing licences?
Guernsey is an affluent island.
Can we not produce the best possible care for those suffering from these difficult and crippling illnesses?
FAITH FEAK,
Life President,
GFS Mental Health Fellowship. |
Deputy Mike Hadley
Guest
| | Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2009 - 09:59 am: | |
IN RESPONSE to Deputy Dave Jones I would like to make the following points [on the Guernsey Press's comments]:
1, 'The ability of departments such as Health and Social Services effectively to recruit staff does not appear to enter into Housing's thinking when granting or refusing housing licences.'
In my time on the board of HSSD I came across numerous examples of an intransigent attitude from the Housing Department.
The first of these was the refusal to extend the seven-year licence of the health and safety officer.
When the previous holder of this post had left, there had been an 18-month delay before the current incumbent had been appointed.
Despite the department saying that this was a specialist post requiring someone with specific hospital experience that would be difficult to fill, an extension was refused. Deputy Jones said, 'You can't help falling over them. They are everywhere. They are falling out of your ears.'
Last year, the HSSD was refused a 15-year licence for a pain control nurse.
A suitable candidate had been found but had been refused a five-year licence. Deputy Jones said: 'You have a pain control consultant and you do not need a pain control nurse as well.'
The nurse specialist in pain control does not work as an assistant to the anaesthetist with an interest in pain control. Using the best available medication and procedures that he has, some patients are left in severe pain.
These are the patients that are referred to the pain control nurse. Throughout the UK chronic pain syndromes are handled by pain control teams - specialist nurses and doctors working together with patients on pain management programmes.
These specialist nurses, who have a master's degree in this highly specialised area, work with the patient over a considerable time period with a variety of different techniques so that they can get back to a normal life.
These programmes are so successful that in Guernsey 22 people have recently stopped drawing sickness benefit from the SSD and have returned to work.
Of course, you may argue that it is not absolutely essential to have a pain control nurse here in Guernsey because at a cost of somewhere around £8,000 per patient, patients can be sent off island to be treated in the UK.
Unfortunately, not every one of these people in pain will agree to leave the island. So without a pain control nurse you will have a number of patients who remain in pain here in Guernsey while others at great cost are sent off island.
There are many other examples that can be given, but these two illustrate that Deputy Jones has a major say in the appointment of HSSD staff.
At a meeting of members of the board and me on 18 November, the deputy minister of Health said: 'There was now, however, the problem of the Housing Department board not being sympathetic to the HSSD and some opposition was being experienced, solely because of the way Deputy Hadley had gone about arguing the HSSD's case individually.'
The minister of Health said: 'The deputy minister of Housing is generally against the granting of housing licences so it was necessary to work in a more subtle way.'
2, 'Equally says the report [the Guernsey Press said], even when off-island people are located Housing imposes licence or property conditions that make it difficult for employees to relocate here.'
At the present time we have eight psychiatrists of which four are long-term locums. This cost the department alone an extra £1.5m. each year.
The most recently-appointed psychiatrist illustrates the problem.
When she accepted the post she was told that she and her husband must purchase a house with a rateable value in excess of £60.
They found a house, made an offer and January last year approached the Housing Department for approval.
The Housing Department told them that they could not buy the house as they needed one with a TRP over £280.
They replied that that was not what they had been told and that they had done exactly as instructed in purchasing a house with a rateable value of £73.
The psychiatrist and her husband went to the Housing Department and were told quite brutally that they could see no reason why they should not continue in rented accommodation if they were not happy.
He was asked a lot of intrusive questions and was essentially sent packing. In fact they nearly did pack. He told me that he had never been so humiliated in his whole life.
In fact, after a six-month fight, the Housing Department finally relented and they have been able to buy a house.
I must say that I am ashamed that a department of the States should treat a much-needed professional in such a way.
Other psychiatrists have refused to take up posts here. Half of the island's psychiatrists have been locums for the past 10 years at least.
It is also a fact that some applicants look at the licensing conditions and do not proceed with an application, so even if the Housing Department did solve the problems by negotiation, it would not help.
3, 'That isolationist approach would be questionable enough but the consequence is that one department - in this case Housing - can materially damage another's ability to deliver public services.'
A report to the HSSD board dated 18 April 2008 highlighted the following points:
That the present staffing position was not sustainable and likely to deteriorate, leading to:
a) service safety becoming compromised due to poor staffing and skill-mix problems;
b) service reductions possibly being forced upon the HSSD or the department having to choose to curtail activity in order to protect core services;
c) service integrity being compromised and delivery of safe services becoming problematic.
The report went on to say that these issues were not new and went on to ask for 'more flexibility on housing licences and easing immigration restrictions'.
It is now confirmed that surgical beds are to be closed temporarily because of a shortage of nurses.
Finally I should say that I have no objection to five-year housing licences when the post is of limited duration or when at the end of five years it could be filled by a local.
However, I just cannot understand the logic of issuing five-year housing licences for posts that will never be filled by local people.
Some 18% of five-year licence holders in fact stay for a variety of reasons, while nearly over half of 15-year licence holders do not stay on the island.
Because over 15 years it is probable that four five-year licences will be issued because people usually leave early if they leave at all, then it seems highly likely that five-year licences increase the population more than 15-year licences.
DEPUTY MIKE HADLEY |
Ian Craze
Guest
| | Posted on Monday, April 13, 2009 - 12:09 pm: | |
I REFER to the comments in the editor's footnote regarding dental Cat scans (States won't take my money, Friday 3 April).
I think Health minister Hunter Adam's comments are misleading.
I have it on record that the application process started before the new machine was installed (with Dr O'Dwyer). It may be true that the minister only got to hear about it most recently after patients' unsolicited complaints. Following initial talks to ensure the correct software was pre-installed on the new machine and on behalf of the Guernsey Dental Association, I was asked to enter into discussions for the dental use of the new scanner last summer. I received positive responses from both the consultant radiologist and the superintendent radiographer but could make no headway through administration. Last month, having been told all was OK, I was then told it would take a further six to nine months to review and that I should continue sending patients to either London or Jersey. I passed this message on to my patients who had been waiting for news and they were not happy.
Dental Cat scans are in the accepted protocol for advanced implant planning and oral surgical procedures and I am very pleased that this wonderful facility is now available to our patients without the need to travel, and pay, off island. On reflection, my only errors were in not writing to Deputy Adam in the first instance and also in assuming that the left hand knew what the right hand was doing.
IAN CRAZE,
Dental surgeon |
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