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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY SENATOR Z.A. CAMERON
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 2nd JUNE 2015
Question
- Would the Minister state how much money has been spent on the 46 investigations into general practitioners undertaken by the Primary care governance team and Wessex?
- Were any patient safety issues found that necessitated subsequent disciplinary action?
Answer
- Would the Minister state how much money has been spent on the 46 investigations into general practitioners undertaken by the Primary care governance team and Wessex?
The investigation of complaints is one component of the Primary Care Governance Team's role and responsibilities. The team provides the clinical and corporate governance framework for primary care and, as well as dealing with complaints, supports GPs and practices in delivering high quality care to patients.
Investigations account for a relatively small part of the team's overall workload. Therefore it is not possible to quantify how much of the team's time is taken up with this one aspect, and to say how much of the team's overall budget of around £310,000 in 2014 is accounted for by this one area. The Primary Care Governance Team is funded through the Health Insurance Fund as agreed by the States when the primary care governance arrangements were established.
All complaints are considered carefully, whether or not a formal investigation takes place. Whilst it is clearly important to ensure that the costs of any investigation are managed carefully, the main concern is to ensure the standards and the quality of primary care are assured and that patients in Jersey can have the confidence that GPs are up-to-date and fit to practise.
- Were any patient safety issues found that necessitated subsequent disciplinary action?
To safeguard the confidentiality of both the patient and the GP, the results of investigations are not made public.
Since the Primary Care Governance Team's inception, the Medical Director has required doctors to address issues that have arisen out of investigations. These actions are usually agreed informally, although undertakings may be required from the doctor. This has occurred on one occasion.
Whilst the Medical Director, in consultation with appropriate experts and regulatory authorities, has the power to suspend or restrict the practice of a GP, these formal powers have not proved necessary in Jersey. Rather it has been the case that GPs readily seek to improve the quality of their practise and engage with educational plans.