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The Chief Minister has given a full and unreserved apology after details of a toxic chemical blood-testing programme were made public before the individuals concerned had received their results, causing them significant distress.
An official complaint made against Deputy Kristina Moore by Ms L Cabot has been upheld by the States of Jersey Complaints Board, which was critical of the Government’s communications and called for it to do better.
It is the second time in a week that a complaint against a minister has been upheld.
Last Wednesday, the Board found that the Government’s co-funded payroll scheme was poorly communicated and should have been better ‘road-tested’ after one islander complained of ‘feeling like a petty criminal’ when asked to repay money.
This week’s finding relates to a complaint against Deputy Kristina Moore regarding the release of blood test results to the media and the administration of her subsequent complaint.
Ms Cabot participated in a blood test study in Autumn 2022, along with other residents of St. Ouen’s Bay and the Pont Marquet catchment which have been contaminated by the release of PFAS, a family of chemicals which have been linked to a number of health conditions including cancer and kidney disease.
Pictured: The contaminated 'plume area' in St. Ouen's Bay.
One type of PFAS was an ingredient of firefighting foam sprayed at the Airport in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The residents were told they would receive the test results via their GPs before there was a public statement made, but the media received and reported on them first, last October.
Although individual details were not shared, the release said that 72 residents had higher than expected PFAS levels in their blood.
The Board said that Ms Cabot and other individuals had found this “both distressing and extremely stressful”.
It also found that a subsequent formal complaint by Ms Cabot was not dealt with in a timely way, which the Government acknowledged and put down to a misunderstanding between officials.
In upholding the complaint, Board chair Geoffrey Crill said: “We are content that the case has been mitigated by the apology to Ms. Cabot and the others concerned.
“The way the complainant was treated was very disappointing and for a Government which set out to be ‘responsive and compassionate’ it was neither in this case.
“Islanders affected by the PFAS matter should have been and should continue to be first and foremost in the Government’s priorities in the management and conclusion of this matter.
"That didn’t happen here.”
He added: “Yet again, poor communication exacerbated a situation where there had already been a breakdown of trust. The Government really must do better.”
Earlier this year, the Board had asked the Chief Minister to provide a full apology which addressed disclosure of the blood test results, the mismanagement of the timing and location of the meetings with those concerned, and the failure to respond to the concerns raised “in a timely and respectful way”.
This was received last month, which led the Board to find that a full public hearing was no longer necessary. The complaint was therefore dealt with through correspondence.
Responding to the report, Deputy Moore said this afternoon: "The Government has worked with the Complaints Panel process and acknowledged the errors and misunderstandings that were made in this case. A full apology has been given to the complainant and we will endeavour to avoid a repeat in future. We now communicate with impacted Islanders by email or letter prior to issuing Public Health PFAS press notices and the most recent public meeting was held in St. Peter and in the early evening following feedback from the residents.
"The Government is making good progress in moving forward together and more positively with islanders who have been impacted by PFAS pollution, including through the recent formation of the independent PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel. This is our ongoing focus."
You can read the full States Complaints Board report here.
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