Health and Social Care Committee vice-president to quit role

Deputy Tina Bury said she has seen "little appetite" for change with Health and Social Care

The vice-president of Guernsey's Health and Social Care Committee has announced her resignation.

Deputy Tina Bury said she had seen "little appetite" for change within Heath and Social Care (HSC).

With just more than a year left of this political term, she said "there was no benefit of continuing in the hope things may improve".

HSC president Deputy Al Brouard thanked Ms Bury for her work on the "challenging" committee.

During this political term, Ms Bury has disagreed with the majority of her committee on some issues, including the building of housing on a field next to the hospital.

In a statement, she said: "The way the department handles some of the various challenges it faces hasn't sat comfortably with me and my personal values for some time."

HSC a 'very challenging committee'

Ms Bury's resignation is set to be ratified when it is presented at the next States meeting in April.

She will remain a member of the Committee for Employment and Social Security.

A statement from Mr Brouard said: "Health and Social Care is certainly a very challenging Committee, perhaps the most challenging in the States, where we deal with very emotive issues and it feels like we are faced with a never-ending supply of difficult decisions to make, which can be uncomfortable at times."

Analysis

HSC's last term was all about "transformation" under Deputy Heidi Soulsby.

Under reluctant president Mr Brouard, the mantra has been "business as usual".

That has been difficult for Ms Bury, who as vice-president has found herself frustrated behind the scenes at a lack of willingness to reform the island's health service.

Now those frustrations have come to the surface.

Will it change anything? That very much will depend on who finds themselves elected to the committee to replace Ms Bury.