Rheumatology deaths to be investigated in Jersey

The Royal College of Physicians said some patients were given the wrong diagnosis or the wrong medicine

Health and Community Services (HCS) will investigate the deaths of 182 rheumatology patients in Jersey.

A recent independent review was highly critical of the service - which treats people with arthritis and other joint and muscle pain.

The information was heard by the health advisory board at St Paul's Centre in St Helier earlier on Thursday.

Dr Adrian Noon, chief of service for Medicine, said 2,400 patients, who are still alive, had been reviewed in 2023.

He said this year there would be a final review into 182 patients that have died since January 2019.

Using anonymous terms to refer to two doctors, Dr Noon said: "Any patients seen by Dr Y or Dr Z in the Rheumatology department and subsequently died for any reason at all will be the subject of a clinical audit."

The panel heard Dr Y is still employed by the island's health service but under restrictions put in place by the General Medical Council.

Dame Clare Gerada, an independent board member, said Dr Y was still on the payroll, but not doing clinical work.

She urged the panel to rapidly take the doctor to task.

The panel heard Dr Z no longer works in Jersey.

Dr Noon said the review would be wide-ranging and "no stone would be left unturned".

The independent review board was created in 2022 to "drive reform".

Dame Clare said the recent report also implicated the pharmaceutical sector.

She said some of the medicine was £1,000 per dose - costing the tax-payer millions of pounds.

She said: "This should have been noticed."

Chris Bown, chief officer of the Health department, said any level of harm to patients was unacceptable and the department would be in discussions with lawyers about appropriate compensation.

He said £1.3m was spent on managing the review in 2023.

Follow BBC Jersey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].