This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.
Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.
WQ.239/2023
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
BY DEPUTY C.D . CURTIS OF ST. HELIER CENTRAL
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON TUESDAY 30th MAY 2023
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 6th JUNE 2023
Question
“Further to the Minister’s reference to "systemic governance problems" in her department, does she agree that a full independent inspection, by a body such as the Jersey Care Commission, of the hospital and health services should be undertaken urgently, and if so, when would this inspection be undertaken; and if she does not consider an inspection necessary, why not?”
Answer
The Minister fully supports independent inspection of all Health and Community Services Department service by the Jersey Care Commission.
The Commission currently regulates adult day care services and care home services provided by the Department and, further to a decision taken by the previous Council of Ministers in February 2022, work is already underway bring forward new legislation under the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 to extend the Commission’s remit to all hospital services provided by Department.
Amendments to the law are necessary to provide Islanders assurance as to the independence of the inspection regime as it will allow for the Commission, as opposed to the Government of Jersey, to set the inspection brief. Furthermore, it will provide the Commission with the powers necessary to issue improvement notices directing the Department to make changes within a timeframe determined by the Commission.
Regulation of care is a matter delegated to the Minister for the Environment who approved the necessary law drafting instructions on 30 March 2023. It is envisaged the consultation on the draft law will commence before the end of 2023, with a view to the law coming into force before the end of 2024.
In preparing for inspection of hospital services:
- the Jersey Care Commission, at the request of the previous Minister for Health and Social Services ( Deputy Richard Renouf ), commissioned a review adult users’ experience of the Department’s inpatient, maternity, urgent and emergency, and community mental health services. The results of the review, which will support the Commission to determine areas of priority focus, were published in December 2022[1].
- the States Assembly approved, in the 2023 Government Plan, additional investment to support the Department and the Commission to prepare for the roll-out of independent inspection to hospital services.
Furthermore, as set out in P19/2023 to be debated by the Assembly 13 June, it is a key responsibility of the proposed Heath and Community Services Board to oversee the Department in matters related to preparedness and responsiveness to independent inspection and compliance with regulatory standards and the advice the Minister accordingly.