Patients demand answers as Jersey rheumatology records are investigated

• Emma Volney reports.

Rheumatology patients in Jersey have told ITV News that they are not surprised to hear that a review is being carried out of the service, after locum doctors raised concerns about record-keeping, case management and communication.

Problems were flagged to the Royal College of Physicians who have asked the Health Department to audit the records of hundreds of patients in order to make sure they are receiving the correct care and treatment.

Medical Director Patrick Armstrong said: "The purpose of this audit is to make sure that rheumatology patients have the most appropriate care plan and that their treatment is entirely suitable to their individual needs."

Mr Armstrong the review will assess whether patients have been harmed by previous practice.

The review will be completed by the end of June, however patients say the first they heard about it was via the media - with some angry that they were not the first to know.

Patients claim problems first emerged following the departures of two senior consultants in the department who were replaced with visiting doctors who "are here today, gone tomorrow" and "don't make an effort to get to know the people they are treating".

One patient told ITV News: "It is a very confusing service depending on who you see and you get a very different message each time. There are many different staff and there is no consistency. The nurses are fabulous and they are the ones holding everything together."

Another claimed: "There is a total lack of communication between the department and the patients - there is also poor management and a culture of indifference towards patients who feel they are being forgotten."

In a statement, Jersey's Health Department said: "The audit of patient records within the Rheumatology Service was trigged by a recommendation from the Royal College of Physicians as part of their ongoing review of the rheumatology service.

"The focus at the moment is on the review of individual cases and the service as a whole. If as a result of these reviews raise concerns about professional practice these will be addressed in due course."