Number of personnel employed pre-Covid

WQ.385/2023

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY A. HOWELL OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 9th OCTOBER 2023

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th OCTOBER 2023

Question

“Will the Minister provide the number of personnel employed Pre-COVID and currently under the Medical Officer of Health and/or Director of Public Health, together with a breakdown of staffing costs, all other costs, and organisational charts for each period.”

Answer

The question has been understood as relating to the vaccination service and that the periods referred to are pre and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The question can be readdressed if these assumptions are not correct. The question has been answered as fully as possible within the timescales allowed and further work can be undertaken if required.

In January 2023, immunisation services moved from Health and Community Services to Public Health as specified in Government Plan 2023 decided by the States Assembly in December 2022.

To support this vaccination programme, there are currently 1.5 full time equivalent clinical staff and 2.4 full time equivalent non-clinical staff in post. Staff complement has not changed since the transfer from HCS. This service supports scheduling of baby and pre-school immunisations, co-ordinates and administers the neonatal Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination offered to babies and children under 5 years of age who are deemed most at risk of exposure to tuberculosis (TB). Additionally, the service co-ordinate and deliver school aged routine immunisations, including the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) to approximately 1,000 children in school year 8 to prevent cervical and penile cancer and the teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY vaccine to approximately 1,000 children in school year 9. Nasal flu vaccines are offered to all school aged children. Pre-school flu is administered via General Practice (GPs) who visit nurseries. Furthermore, the service conducts annual cold chain audits of GP accommodation and leads an annual stock check paper of vaccines in Primary Care which is required by the Treasury.

The service also works with Customer Local Services (CLS) to identify those Islanders who turn 70 years old each year (approximately 1,000 Islanders per year) and therefore become eligible for a shingles vaccine. The team sends a letter  to inform the eligible  Islanders, advising them to contact their GP for an appointment. Adult vaccines (shingles, pneumococcal) are administered by GPs.

As COVID-19 becomes endemic, vaccination remains the primary way of preventing severe illness (and hospitalisations) arising from COVID-19. The virus continues to circulate in our community and so there is an ongoing need to provide vaccination for those at greatest risk of serious disease. The COVID-19 vaccination workforce has, however, reduced as advice from the national Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has changed over time, from mass vaccination of the whole population in 2021, to a more targeted approach focussing on the groups at most risk, such as those aged 65+.

There are currently 11.2 full time equivalent clinical staff who administer COVID-19 vaccines and provide a home visit service to residential care homes and Islanders who are housebound. There are 16.4 full time equivalent non-clinical staff who support the running of the operational service, plan for future campaigns, collate and analyse operational data, and prepare the home visit service. Additionally, one zero hours GP is available for clinical advice and guidance as required.

Comparative vaccination service running costs pre and post COVID-19 pandemic are provided in the table below.