Almost £1 million has been allocated to Health and Community Services (HCS) for staff wellbeing projects and vital healthcare equipment from the Bailiff’s COVID-19 Appeal Fund.
Dedicated wellbeing practitioners will provide specialist trauma focused therapy and other psychological support for all HCS staff. Wellbeing training courses will also be made available for managers to help support their teams.
The department will also receive new equipment, including a ventilator for the intensive care unit and significant numbers of patient respiratory monitoring devices and suctioning equipment. In addition, a third oxygen producing unit has been installed at the General Hospital. This equipment will ensure the department can maintain its COVID-19 resilience for the provision of frontline care for patients.
Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf said: “Thanks to the incredible generosity of islanders, we can use this funding to help address the impact this pandemic has had on the wellbeing of health and community services staff who have been at the frontline of this crisis.
“While Jersey remains in a strong position after implementing and subsequently revising mitigation factors to protect Islanders from COVID-19, the pressures of those restrictions have not been easy, so the mental, emotional and physical health of staff remains a key focus for the department as we enter a new normal.”
The Bailiff’s COVID-19 Appeal Fund was set up during the height of the pandemic in Jersey to support the potential impact on services provided by community and health staff.
Government of Jersey News Release.