Jersey womens' health needs more funding - expert

A former hospital consultant gynaecologist has said women "want to be heard and they need better access" to healthcare in Jersey.

Neil MacLachlan has called for greater funding and focus on women's health on the island.

Mr MacLachlan, a co-partner of Women's Health Hub, said receiving specialised healthcare could be difficult.

He explained women with endometriosis could wait eight years for diagnosis and funding for incontinence issues had been withdrawn, despite the problem affecting 60% of women at a time in their life.

Mr MacLachlan said secondary healthcare for women needed to be rebuilt.

The government are due to release the results of a women's health survey but Mr MacLachlan believed the Jersey questionnaire was not necessary.

He said the UK government's survey conducted in 2019 had a much larger sample size, making answers easier to interpret.

The government "recognise that we need our own women's health strategy" but the issue lies in funding, Mr MacLachlan added.

The Health and Community Services budget deficit hit £24m in June.

Assistant Minister for health and social services, Deputy Andy Howell, has announced plans to reopen a women's ward at the hospital.

She said: "In response to comments from Islanders, Rayner Ward, in Jersey General Hospital is scheduled to be refurbished and re-opened in 2025, with a view to improving the quality and experience of care for women who are undergoing gynaecological surgery and breast surgery."

She added that the maternity ward has been newly refurbished and breast screening would become an opt-out of service for women over 50 early next year.

Mr MacLachlan said: "It's extraordinary that we're even having to discuss having a women's health ward where, 30 years ago, we'd developed a women's health ward, a women's gynaecological ward.

"Then, about four years ago that was taken away so, to put that as part of the women's health strategy is not really fair. It's a basic requirement."

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