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2024.10.01
3.5 Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding recommendations outlined in "Getting it right first time: orthopaedics and theatre efficiency review" (OQ.180/2024):
Following the publication of the Getting it right first time: orthopaedics and theatre efficiency review, will the Minister provide details of what progress, if any, has been made to meet the recommendations outlined in this review?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet of St. Saviour (The Minister for Health and Social Services):
I am pleased to confirm that the Surgical Care Group, that is the group with responsibility for implementing the recommendations, has already prioritised them and has commenced work on 11 of the 36 which were made following the review. I would be very happy to furnish the Deputy with a copy of the priority list detailing the various elements of the work that are already in progress, if that would be helpful.
- Deputy K.L. Moore :
I thank the Minister for that offer and gratefully accept, as I am sure will the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel. The recommendations identify a need to have greater expertise in delivering system changes and driving greater efficiency. With the departure of the chief officer, is the Minister confident that he has the right skills in his management team?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
I think I have to say a straightforward yes to that.
- Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter :
Recommendation 22 called for a rapid review of the ophthalmology pathway. Has that been started and when can we expect that to be complete?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
Offhand, I could not say whether that is one of the 11 that is started or not. I have to be honest with you, this is an efficiency review, it is a review of a department that has been highlighted as having notably good practice, and so it is not something at this point in time that takes up a huge amount of my concentration because there are other matters that are, in my view, more of a priority. I cannot answer that question, I am afraid.
- Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson :
Given that the question has been asked on the floor of the States Assembly, could I request that the information the Minister offered earlier is sent to all States Members, please? Could I add to the question, because recommendation 22 referred to cataracts theatre appointments, is the Minister aware if they are currently ongoing in Jersey as well as those that are being undertaken in the U.K.?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
My understanding is to a limited extent, to the best of my knowledge.
The Deputy Bailiff :
The other part of the question was: are you prepared to share that information with all Members? Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
Most certainly, yes.1
- Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North :
1 HCS Advisory Board - Papers - Part A - September 2024.pdf (gov.je)
•Pages 113 to 116 - Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Report and Action Plan
•Pages 117 to 143 - Getting It Right First Time Orthopaedics and Theatre Efficiency Review
I would like to ask the Minister what progress has been made for establishing a full multidisciplinary team for orthopaedic surgery which should include the use of dedicated physio resources and a full patient pathway?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
As I say, there are 11 of those recommendations already underway; I do not carry around with me an intimate knowledge of those areas. There is a good team at work there and they are doing that. If there are a collection of people that are interested in this, I am very happy to get the head of the Surgical Care Group to give them a briefing if it is occupying a lot of people's concerns.
- Deputy I. Gardiner :
A different one, would the Minister confirm if he had read the report? [10:30]
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
Yes, I certainly have.
- Deputy K.L. Moore :
The Minister described this review as an efficiency review, which indeed it is, but he said that he has greater priorities than simply dealing with efficiency. Given that efficiency has an impact upon patient care and also costs, what greater priorities does the Minister have and how will he ensure that they are delivered to the benefit of the patients in our care?
Deputy T.J.A. Binet :
I do not recall saying that I did not consider efficiency to be a priority. In fact, as the Deputy will know, I am trying to go through a redesign of the entire health service to make it more efficient. What I do know is that in large organisations if you have got good people doing their job and they have 36 efficiency recommendations, you generally tend to leave it to those people to implement those recommendations to make those efficiencies.
The Deputy Bailiff :
Question 6 was Deputy Jeune 's. Is the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development content to answer that question in writing?
Deputy K.F. Morel of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity : Absolutely, no problem.