Neurology team 'dedicated but overstretched' - report

Health experts have raised concerns over workload pressures in Jersey's neurology service.

A report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said the service, based at the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre, had been reliant on a single consultant who had recently retired and the team were "dedicated but overstretched".

RCP has issued a series of recommendations for improvements which include devising a plan to assess workforce requirements and evaluating the administrative support provided to the team.

Tom Binet, the island's health minister, said an action plan to implement the recommendations had been set up.

The report written by Dr Emma-Kate Reed, RCP's deputy medical director for invited reviews, said the neurology team had been delivering care in spite of "major structural weaknesses".

She said there was "service fragility" due to the reliance on single and "insufficient" workforce planning along with weaknesses in the department's governance.

Reed added there were unsafe or sub-optimal prescribing practices due to there being no dedicated neurology pharmacist while the review was conducted in January and February 2025.

The report added there had been "incorrect or inappropriate" prescriptions reaching the pharmacy including migraine drugs prescribed outside guidelines.

Delays in tests and poor inpatient pathways were also highlighted by RCP in the report.

Despite the concerns raised, Reed said there was a "strong commitment" with those in the service to improve the department.

"The review team feel there are positive foundations in place to support a new model with a team that are dedicated to improving patient outcomes," she said.

The government said the recommendations were being incorporated into a medicine recovery plan which would be monitored monthly.

It said a recruitment process to hire a new consultant neurologist had started with interviews for the role scheduled to take place in March.

Binet added: "Following the recommendations outlined in the review, an action plan has been drawn up and two of the actions have already been completed.

"Work continues to enhance the service and I'd like to thank the team who work in this complex specialty for their continued dedication and commitment to patients."

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