Hospital staffing crisis predicted a year ago

HEALTH and Social Services knew a year ago of severe staffing problems at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, the Guernsey Press can reveal.

A special report commissioned by the department drew three alarming conclusions if the situation continued:

• Service safety becoming compromised due to poor staffing and problems with the skill mix.

• Service reductions possibly being forced on the department or it having to end activities to protect core services.

• Service integrity being compromised and delivery of safe services becoming problematic.

The report also said that the challenges were not new and asked for more flexibility on housing licences and the easing of immigration restrictions.

It sheds new light on what was really happening behind the scenes when two weeks ago the department denied it had any immediate plans to close beds at the PEH.

On Thursday, it announced that 10 of the 30 on Giffard Ward would close after two senior nurses resigned.

The report and other developmnts also cast doubt on claims by Health and Housing, which continued to stress they were working effectively together over recruitment issues and housing licences.

Health released a statement yesterday that confirmed the board did discuss about a year ago a report on staffing levels and the implications of recruitment and retention issues.