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The Government has set aside a further £1.1m to deal with the repercussions of the damning rheumatology review, it has emerged, as the number of individuals seeking legal action continues to grow – including the family members of patients who died while receiving treatment.
Law firm Viberts also revealed that thirteen formal letters of claim have been put forward so far.
The company confirmed it has met Health representatives and doctors "in an attempt to resolve claims in the best way for each of our clients".
Pictured: Rheumatology deals with arthritis and several other conditions that affect the joints, tendons, muscle, ligaments.
Potential legal claims against the Hospital’s rheumatology department started gathering pace at the beginning of the year after it emerged that hundreds of patients were given drugs they did not need or were misdiagnosed.
The issues were unearthed following a review by the Royal College of Physicians, which described the standard of care as “well below what the review team would consider acceptable” for a contemporary rheumatological service.
In April, Health Minister Tom Binet told States Members that "a number of potential compensation claims" had been received and were being managed through a "standard claims process".
Deputy Binet revealed that the possibility of "alternative collective compensation schemes" was also being explored.
Pictured: Chief Officer of Health, Chris Bown with the Royal College of Physicians' review of Jersey's rheumatology department.
At the end of last year, it emerged that the Government set aside £1.3million of funding for "costs related to a rheumatology incident".
This money was largely spent on the use of specialist consultants to review the circa 2,500 patients under rheumatology service.
Express has asked the Government to provide a breakdown of how this £1.3m was spent.
In a meeting of the Health Advisory Board earlier this year, it emerged that the Health Department had submitted another business case to Treasury seeking further funding to deal with the repercussions of the rheumatology review.
A recent Ministerial Decision revealed that £1.1m has been allocated to support ongoing changes in the rheumatology department.
"This funding would enable HCS to complete the patient reviews and review of deceased patients since 2019, implement changes to transition to improved ‘business as usual’ from January 2025, and provide assurance regarding the current safety of patient diagnoses and care as well as enable HCS to exercise its Duty of Candour to current and previous patients," according to the report accompanying the funding allocation.
Earlier this month, it also emerged that the deaths of some rheumatology patients are to be referred to the Viscount, as health officials believe they could have been caused by the treatment they received.
The news was broken to a panel of politicians during a recent scrutiny hearing, when Deputy Medical Director Simon West provided an update regarding the ongoing review into the deaths of 182 former patients.
The Law Officers' Department is also considering a process for patients to resolve any concerns or complaints arising from the review of their diagnosis, care and treatment.
A spokesperson for Viberts said the law firm was currently handling more than 250 individual enquiries.
They added: "We are concerned to ensure meaningful resolution for all those who have suffered damage and loss as a result of being over the years either misdiagnosed and/or given the wrong drugs.
"I can confirm that Viberts have also received enquiries from families of patients who have unfortunately died when under the care of the [Health] Department."
The spokesperson continued: "Our approach focuses on understanding how each individual was affected both in terms of physical and psychological impact as well as the financial losses suffered.
"Thirteen formal letters of claim have so far been sent to the Minister and the medical defence organisations representing the doctors involved."
Pictured: A review by the Royal College of Physicians described the standard of care as “well below what the review team would consider acceptable”.
The spokesperson explained: "We have now had meetings with the representatives of the Minister and doctors in an attempt to resolve claims in the best way for each of our clients, recognising each of our clients is an individual with their own particular circumstances.
"In April 2024, the Minister announced that he was exploring alternative collective compensation schemes for all those patients adversely affected and that he intends to announce his finalised action plan based on the recommendations of the report by the Royal College of Physicians by the end of June 2024.
"We remain concerned to ensure the terms of any such compensation scheme are announced as soon as possible and that there is full transparency and the swift resolution of all claims.
"We are committed to continuing our efforts and remain dedicated to achieving justice for all those affected by these distressing events."
Patients requiring further information about this matter are advised to contact the Patient Advisory and Liaison Service by email (pals@health.gov.je) or by telephone on 01534 443515.
If you believe you have a clinical negligence claim against the Jersey Rheumatology Department you can contact Viberts on 01534 632283 or email disputeresolution@viberts.com.
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