Health Minister resigns.

Jersey's Health Minister has resigned.

Senator Jim Perchard sent a letter to the Bailiff this morning informing him of his decision.

In that letter, Senator Perchard apologised to the management team at
the Health and Social Sevices Department, as well as its patients.

He said he recognises he failed to protect staff against what he called
a "despicable and relentless onslaught of allegations made against them
of murder, unlawful killing, child abuse, corruption, bullying and
cover-up."

He also said he believes the Health department has suffered from
political neglect for many years and will now be under the control of a
fourth minister in 18 months.

The call for Senator Perchard's resignation was made after the Minister
allegedly told Senator Stuart Syvret to "go and top himself."

Senator Perchard's letter to Health and Social Services in full ....

Dear Colleague

This morning I submitted my resignation as Minister for Health and
Social Services to Senator Le Sueur, Chief Minister. I did this with
profound regret – but following a period of personal reflection.

You will appreciate the fact that some weeks ago now, I made a number
of statements to another elected representative which I have regretted
and which I believe fell below the standard of behaviour which a person
with my political standing should display at all times. I described my
statements in the Assembly at the time as being ‘un-Statesman like’.

It is my judgement that I must stand down from such an honoured role,
given my indiscretion, but would wish you to know how much I have come
to know and to respect all that is done in the Health and Social
Services Department for our Island. Both in my capacity as Assistant
Minister and latterly in my capacity as Minister, I have made it my
business to know and come to understand – as much as a lay person can –
the technical and professional mastery which you bring every day to
your work. I am also mindful that everyone in the Department must pull
together if the job is to be done and that the value of managers, hotel
services personnel, technicians and countless other indispensable
people is of equal worth to the wonderful achievements of all of our
health and social care front line professionals.

Health and Social Services is a complex affair which contains many
major ethical dilemmas, many potential conflicting policy aims and
intentions, many funding pressures and increasing expectations from the
users of our services. Not surprisingly, this attracts legitimate
political and media interest. We are all mature enough to know that all
health and social care systems are subjected to such intense interest
and scrutiny – and I welcome this here in Jersey. However, it is a
source of considerable regret to me that recklessness, immaturity, and
spiteful destructiveness have a political voice here in Jersey. This
really is most unacceptable and is what separates out legitimate
political interest in other jurisdictions from what is the case here in
Jersey.

It remains for me to thank you for working both to me and alongside me.
It has been a journey which I have enjoyed immensely. I would like also
to thank Deputy Judy Martin and Constable Deidre Mezbourian, who as my
Assistant Ministers have given me the benefit of their political and
commonsensical advice which has guided my hand since their appointment.


I do not know what, politically, the future holds for me, but I wish you all the best for your own personal futures.


Yours sincerely
Senator Jim Perchard
Minister




Oh dear !

Seems a bit of a cock to me .

steve 19 wrote:Seems a bit of a cock to me .

You said it all steve

At last Perchard has faced up to reality. He does not have what it takes to be a Minister (mind you few have in the COM). He was nothing other than a mouthpiece for an incompetent CEO (Mike Pollard) and a dysfunctional senior management team at health.

Even in his dying throes he continues with his unconditional support for the health service management. His greatest concern was letting down the 22 senior managers of H&SS and his greatest conceit was that the public of Jersey would not now benefit from his exciting plans and vision for health. Sheesh in the words of Stuart Syvret 'you couldn't make it up'

Nothing of an apology to the countless number of people he insulted, not to mention the hundreds of patients who have received a second rate service from a poorly performing hospital that has never had any real independent scrutiny.

About time the public in Jersey started asking questions about the health service and more importantly the morons that are in charge of it.

The guy stood no chance, the Health service is run by usless civil servants, and who ever fronts this department will always have this problem