Hospital pharmacy has unjust culture - review

Staff reported facing "punitive measures" if they were sick and having confidential information shared with colleagues

Staff at Jersey's General Hospital Pharmacy described an "unjust culture" in the department, according to a new report.

The independent review said staff reported facing "punitive measures" if they were sick, having "confidential information" shared with colleagues, HR policies not being "applied in a fair and just manner" and having concerns "dismissed".

The review was carried out by experts from the UK and made 54 recommendations for improvements, covering culture, workforce, workload, education and training.

Tom Binet, Minister for Health and Social Services, said: "Improvements were already being made whilst this review was taking place."

He said some of the changes "resulted in reducing the queues to collect prescriptions at the hospital".

Deputy Binet said the review was part of an "ongoing programme of work to improve patient care across the entire health department".

The report was commissioned by Health and Community Services to give a "fresh pairs of eyes" after "adverse comments from some current and former staff members", according to its authors.

It found that the "dedication" of the team was a strength but there were "shortfalls in the department".

Low morale

The report said "most staff interviews" highlighted the department's culture as a problem.

Staff reported feeling like they were not being listened to by managers and some were sceptical that the latest review would change anything, as "nothing changed from the others".

The authors highlighted the high workload of staff at all levels as a factor that contributed to the issues and had a "significant impact" on staff morale.

The chief pharmacist's workload was "unmanageable", the authors said, as the "demands on the role" had increased in recent years.

Although some employees reported concerns about high staff turnover, the report found that staff retention in Jersey was slightly better than the UK average, and noted that the island faced some "additional challenges" such as the high cost of living.

The report's recommendations included developing an "open culture of continuous improvement" as well as restructuring the senior management team.

The authors also recommended short and long-term investment in new staff and training.

Mr Binet said an action plan was being developed based on the report's findings, which will presented to Jersey's Health Advisory Board in September.