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Concerns have been raised about the "inappropriate" involvement of politicians in Government recruitment processes amid high-level departures and ongoing turmoil in the Health department.
The Jersey Appointments Commission, which oversees public sector recruitment, said in its annual report that political interference could lead to delays in hiring processes and have a negative impact on future recruitment.
The JAC said there had been "an increased desire for political involvement in some selection decisions especially regarding the HCS Board".
The Board was formed last year in the wake of Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor's highly critical review of the running of the Health Department.
Pictured: The JAC is an independent body that oversees the recruitment of States employees and appointees to States-supported or related bodies.
The annual report continued: "The Commission is clear that it presents the best and most appointable candidates from the process undertaken."
The JAC cautioned that while it is a "ministerial prerogative to decline a recommendation", doing so "may extend the process and have some negative implications for future recruitment exercises".
The report reminded politicians that "it is inappropriate to be part of the selection process except where specifically defined in Law."
It comes after a number of high-level resignations in Health.
In November 2023, former Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan resigned from Government, partly due to “severe concerns” over health leadership appointments where there has been an “indefensible misuse of taxpayers money”.
In his resignation letter, Constable Jehan said he had been "shocked and disappointed" about the appointment of Health's former leader Julie Garbutt – who left five years ago with a £187,000 payout – to an NED role on the Advisory Board for which she will be paid up to £14,000-a-year.
Pictured: Assistant Chief Minister Andy Jehan quit Government in November, citing "severe concerns" about the “indefensible misuse of taxpayers money” within Health in an explosive resignation letter that took aim at former Health Minister Karen Wilson.
Constable Jehan also said that he had only been informed of the intention to extend the appointment of the Interim Chair – Professor Mascie-Taylor, whose own £85,000 report led to the controversial creation of the board – via a draft press release. At the time, this had not yet been officially communicated to media or the public.
This was despite an "excellent" candidate having been recommended for the permanent position, he claimed.
"From November '22 to the end of October '23 the Government has paid in excess of £250,000 to the Interim Chair of the health advisory board and spent a further £73,000 on an independent recruitment agency tasked with recruiting to the Board," the Constable said.
"You will be fully aware that the Health Advisor Board has only met twice during this same period and that despite the Jersey Appointments Commission recommending an 'excellent' candidate who had been through due process, the Health Minister decided against appointing a new candidate and the search for a permanent Chair continues."
He also alleged that after "raising concerns over the cost of the Health Advisory Board", he was "no longer invited" to update meetings about its work.
In April 2024, the newly appointed Health Advisory Board Chair Tom Hayhoe resigned after just over a month in the job due to "differences in working styles" with Health Minister Tom Binet.
In a statement, Deputy Binet said: "Tom Hayhoe and I have announced that he will not be continuing as chair of the HCS Advisory Board.
"We have mutually agreed this course of action given acknowledged differences in working styles.
"Tom Hayhoe will vacate the post with immediate effect and one of the other non-executive directors will chair the board meetings on an interim basis."
Pictured: The man who was supposed to oversee improvements in Jersey's Health Department stepped down in April "mutual agreement" with Health Minister Tom Binet due to "differences in working styles".
In response, former Chief Minister Kristina Moore raised concerns about the "expensive" appointment process, while former Health Minister Deputy Karen Wilson said "the question on everybody's mind" was what had changed between Deputy Binet and Mr Hayhoe.
In May 2024, there was another high-profile resignation as Professor Simon Mackenzie – part of the five-person "change team" brought in after Hugo Mascie-Taylor's daming report of the Health department – stepped down due to an alleged lack of support, which the Health Minister denied.
At the time, Deputy Binet said in a statement: "I am thankful to Professor Mackenzie for his work.
"I understand that in parting, the professor has used his resignation letter to claim he was not being personally supported.
"This is not an accurate reflection of the facts."
And in March last year, Jersey's director of health and its chief nurse, Caroline Landon and Rose Naylor, also left the department.
Dr David Ng, a retired gastroentologist who worked at the hospital, said in April that he was concerned about politicians repeatedly getting involved – and going against experts – in a system as complex as Health.
"Politicians should take a step back from it because they don't know how to manage healthcare and the Advisory Board will also be advising the Health Minister," he said.
"We know what happens when politicians get involved. Look across the water: the NHS, how broken it is because the politicians have used it as a political football.
"We don't want that to happen in Jersey."
READ: Andy Jean's resignation letter in full
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