Almost £38,000 will be drawn from a charitable trust fund to replace the island’s 25-year-old phototherapy machine in a bid to restart the dermatology treatment suspended in the pandemic.
A recent ministerial decision will see £37,715 transferred from the E. J. Bailhache Charitable Fund for the purchase of a replacement phototherapy unit for Jersey General Hospital.
The fund was set up “for the general welfare of persons elderly, and/or blind or sick at the General Hospital”. According to the ministerial decision, the purchase of phototherapy equipment will “directly benefit sick patients – many of whom are elderly or vulnerable – within the hospital’s dermatology service”.
Phototherapy is a form of dermatology treatment that uses artificial ultraviolet (UV) light to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo. It can also be used to treat babies who are suffering from newborn jaundice.
Jersey’s phototherapy service was first suspended in March 2020 in response to the pandemic – and has not re-opened since.
Last year, the government said that there were “both staffing and equipment matters to be addressed before the service can be reinstated”.
In March this year, Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked the Health Minister for an update on the purchase of a new phototherapy machine.
In response, Deputy Tom Binet explained that two bids for funding to replace the 25-year-old machine had failed – preventing the service from re-opening.
At the time, Deputy Binet said that a quote for a new phototherapy machine was £70,000.
But according to the recent ministerial decision, the total replacement cost is £37,715.
It states: “Prior to its suspension in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jersey’s dermatology service delivered phototherapy with excellent clinical outcomes.
“However, the existing equipment is beyond serviceable life, and cannot be repaired due to discontinued replacement parts.
“The purchase of a new mixed-modality whole-body phototherapy unit (combining UVA and NB-UVB) is therefore critical to safely recommence treatment and modernise service delivery.”
The dermatology department has faced ongoing issues in recent years – with one of the longest wait lists in the Health service.
Last year, it was announced that a full review of the dermatology service was to be undertaken after it emerged that more than 750 patients have been waiting over six months for a first appointment.
But earlier this year, the Health Advisory Board – a group of experts brought in to drive improvements in Jersey’s Health Department – found that there had been “significant improvements in dermatology, attributed to leadership and the addition of a new consultant”.
READ MORE…
No funding to replace 25-year-old phototherapy machine
Phototherapy service never restarted after pandemic suspension