Fast-track referrals to psychological support services and funded private therapy sessions will be offered to islanders impacted by the rheumatology scandal, it has emerged.
The Health Department has announced dedicated wellbeing support for affected patients, relatives of deceased patients, and healthcare staff.
And an Assistant Clinical Psychologist post has been funded for one year to “support the increasing number of patients and relatives requiring psychological support”.
It comes after it this week emerged that 62 living patients have received ‘duty of candour’ letters after being subject to “potential harm” during their treatment.
Meanwhile, meetings have been held with the relatives of 31 deceased rheumatology patients whose deaths could be linked to the treatment they received
The rheumatology project team last year “identified a need to further strengthen the psychological support available, in order to support individuals who may have been exposed to potentially traumatic stress”, according to a progress report presented to the Health Advisory Board today.
The report said: “Both the type and volume of psychological support has increased as both the number of patients identified to have possible medical harm, and the number of cases referred to the Viscount’s Office has increased.”
The document sets out a range of support for affected patients, relatives of deceased patients, and staff.
For patients, a two-tiered triage protocol has been developed to provide additional support to patients who require enhanced psychological support.
This risk protocol is designed to review patients against key psychological risk factors to determine an appropriate pathway, and has been developed with support from mental health services.
Any individual who has submitted a query through the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) will also receive a fortnightly call from the Assistant Clinical Psychologist who works within the review.
Meanwhile, relatives are being offered tailored communications, including dedicated psychological support, particularly for the cases escalated to the Viscount’s Office.
The report said: “The team aims to meet with every relative or next of kin in a face-to-face meeting.
“This provides an opportunity for any questions to be raised, for the clinical team to answer at, or sometimes after, the meeting.
“As it can be difficult for people to digest the large amount of information provided at these meetings, a follow-up call is arranged to provide a wellbeing check and a reminder of the psychological pathways available.
“Whilst these support pathways are not compulsory, we highly encourage people to access them.”
The Centre for Anxiety Stress and Trauma has provided support to staff affected by the review – including reflective sessions, lectures on vicarious trauma and moral injury, and one-to-one sessions with an independent off-island specialist psychologist.
Patients, relatives, and staff are all able to access the Jersey Talking Therapies (JTT) major incident pathway which provides referral to appropriate support, based on a clinical assessment of need.
The report added: “As the work continues and more relatives are contacted we will continue to adapt the psychological support we offer.
“An example we are considering in 2025 is to offer some group psychological support sessions for the relatives of the cases referred to the Viscounts Office, offering them the opportunity to share experiences and receive additional support.”
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