Jersey Pharmacy employees feel 'dismissed' and 'passed off' in new independent review
A review has uncovered that employees at Jersey Hospital Pharmacy feel disregarded and have raised concerns about the confidentiality of information.
A survey of 26 pharmacy employees revealed they felt "passed off" with inappropriate feedback, leading to a lack of confidence in speaking up.
Some staff told the reviewers they were sceptical this questionnaire would effect change, stating "nothing changed from the others".
The report carried out in June, revealed the culture and behaviours of staff in the department were consistent themes raised by employees.
Staff were found to be dedicated, honest and open in communication, however, some staff showed signs of being upset and angry at the previous and current positions including with leadership teams.
Within the findings, staff reported that education and training were often restricted by daily service pressures.
It uncovered a failure to recognize the efforts of the pharmacy team and individual members.
Furthermore, it has come to light that certain staff members have access to confidential information about their colleagues without a valid need for such sensitive details.
Employees further revealed they felt there was an overall lack of communication and poor visibility of senior leaders within the department.
It was also raised that there is a need to develop medicines governance to assist in demonstrating compliance with relevant standards.
Staff workload was another area which was raised, two significant issues facing the department's workload were the contributors to the volume of work, and the management of the work.
What are the recommendations?
In total, the report made 54 recommendations for the pharmacy to follow.
The review suggests the pharmacy should foster an open culture where staff feel comfortable speaking up.
It also cited a need to develop an education and training strategy for all staff.
One recommendation said investment is required in operational and strategic roles to support pharmacy services in the hospital and on the Island.
One improvement also calls on the pharmacy to employ remote locum workers to help reduce the operational burden of staff onsite.
Line managers also need training in using relevant HR policies and ensuring staff are aware of policies and changes to those policies.
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