Families feel let down by Guernsey healthcare system

The Medical Specialist Group said it was regulated by the General Medical Council

A group of parents have spoken out about being "traumatised" by the alleged misuse of the safeguarding process in Guernsey.

The families complained about how they feel they were treated by officials in safeguarding after seeking a second medical opinion for their children.

They have spoken out after comments from former safeguarding lead Dr Sandie Bohin about the last year being "hell".

Bosses have moved to reassure islanders complaining would not impact care.

The Medical Specialist Group, which is contracted to provide secondary healthcare, said it was "prevented by regulatory obligations from commenting on the case of any particular patient".

It said: "We can also reassure islanders that as medical professionals we are regulated by the GMC in the same way as UK doctors."

A spokesperson for the three families who complained to Health and Social Care in 2021 said they felt they were "blocked" from seeking second opinions.

Dr Sandie Bohin said she was always happy for patients to seek a second opinion

Following the complaint an investigation was launched following a request from the medical director Dr Peter Rabey into concerns made by these families about the use of safeguarding processes in the island.

At the time consultant paediatrician Dr Bohin was the named safeguarding officer for Guernsey.

Dr Bohin was named in a speech about safeguarding concerns in the States in April 2022 and said the inference she had harmed a child was "a terrible accusation".

An investigation into whether the politician who named her had abused parliamentary privilege found he had not.

The learning report, which was produced off the back of the investigation, suggested a "serious and urgent discussion about health services withdrawing when families access private therapists".

The report also raised concerns that both "child and adolescent mental health services and paediatricians would not work with families and children when private psychiatrist, nutritionists and psychotherapists were engaged".

It suggested that "this was not in the best interest of the children" as "there was no direct or indirect oversight in Guernsey".

Dr Bohin said she was always happy for patients to seek a second opinion.

She added that the families had presented a "misleading" impression that an individual clinician can launch a safeguarding inquiry, when it can actually "only be launched by the multi-agency safeguarding hub".

The families have alleged they have been "put through traumatic and needless investigations questioning our ability to care for our own children".

"As any parent can imagine, purely the act of caring for a sick child is exhausting, worrying and traumatising."

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