Hospital ‘cannot check that doctors understand English’

Wednesday 7th April 2010, 2:59PM BST.

There have been 'language problems' among hospital locums in the past

JERSEY is powerless to check that temporary doctors working at the Hospital can speak and understand English, according to the Health Minister.

Deputy Anne Pryke said that her department’s ‘hands were tied’ when it came to ensuring that locums employed by the States had a good working knowledge of English.

The JEP has seen a leaked email which appears to show that there is at least one doctor currently employed at the Hospital who has difficultly understanding English.

It comes only weeks after Verita, a specialist consultancy that investigated the death of staff nurse Elizabeth Rourke, concluded that employing locums at the General Hospital had compromised patient safety.

Deputy Pryke refused to discuss specific cases but admitted that there had been issues of ‘language problems’ among locums working in Jersey in the past and that some contracts had been terminated as a result.

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