After the closing of Secker House at Overdale because of poor plumbing and electricity, Health and Social Services moved facilities to the hospital’s former Samarès ward – renaming it McKinstry.
St Brelade’s Jill and Alfred Medlock, who used the ward for Mrs Medlock’s mother when the couple required a break from caring for her at home, claim the ward has been forgotten about by Health.
And their local Deputy Peter Troy is supporting their cause, arguing that the standards in the ward should be improved to at least their previous standard.
‘The Health Minister should give this a much higher priority than he is.
It is important that people should not have to share with someone else when they are seriously ill,’ said Deputy Troy.
‘I have no criticism of the staff and the level of the care that is provided in the unit but the facilities there are not as good as they were previously.
In the States during the Budget I had asked Health president Senator Stuart Syvret whether he would be returning the facilities to the previous standard.
Nothing seems to have happened and I want to know what plans he has to improve facilities and whether some additional funding can be found.’ Following a question from Deputy Troy to Chief Minister Frank Walker in the States last week, Senator Walker promised to investigate the matter and commission a report into the current level of service.
Senator Syvret agreed that the level of care currently on offer was unacceptable.
He said: ‘This is clearly not a good arrangement but we have been working with a group looking into respite care and once they present their conclusions in the next few months we will be in a better position to look at the options.’
