Health agency staff housed in hotels in Guernsey

Guernsey's Health and Social Care Committee (HSC) has been housing agency staff in hotels.

Earlier this year it was revealed the committee had spent £11m on agency staff since 2018.

The price of accommodation had not been included in those figures, but HSC has now said it will confirm how much has been spent.

HSC President Al Brouard said "it isn't right" that staff were having to stay in hotels.

At the start of 2023 there were 154 vacancies being temporarily filled by agency staff - 9% of the HSC workforce.

Mr Brouard said the main reason HSC could not get permanent staff was a lack of suitable accommodation with the second reason being pay.

At the scrutiny hearing Mr Brouard, alongside Committee Vice-President Deputy Tina Bury, Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink, Medical Director Dr Peter Rabey and Director of Operations, Dermot Mullins, faced questions on HSC's current work.

HSC has said there are 2,484 people on the waiting list for surgery at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital (PEH).

Of those waiting, 473 are in gastroenterology.

Dr Rabey told the panel work is ongoing to reduce the list, with an external contractor being sought to come to the island for eight weeks.

There are 834 people waiting for surgery in orthopaedics, 253 in ophthalmology and 123 in gynaecology.

Vice-President of Scrutiny, Deputy Simon Fairclough, asked about progress on work to modernise the PEH.

The panel were told the first phase of work is on schedule for April 2024, but will likely come in around £2m over budget at £34m.

Questions have been raised about the second phase of the project and whether it may be delayed by Policy and Resources (P&R).

P&R is currently reviewing the States capital projects, after its plans for a goods and services tax (GST) were defeated earlier this year.

Under questioning from Michelle Le Clerc, the former President of Employment and Social Security (ESS), Mr Brouard said his stance on funding islanders' future long term care through an equity release scheme had softened.

He voted against a plan which would have looked at this scheme in 2020.

Mr Brouard said: "My position is softening a bit like it did with GST, because I have realised the amount of funding we will need.

"I am probably more amenable to look at some of the more awkward parts of funding.

"The whole of the Supported Living and Ageing Well Strategy is unfunded at the moment."

Mr Mullins said a new paper on long-term care would be published for the States in 2024.

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