Scrutiny chief condemns interview silence on report

Health leaders in Guernsey have come under fire for not holding interviews after the release of a report showing numerous key targets were missed.

Health and Social Care's (HSC) annual report found the Medical Specialist Group (MSG) - which holds a multimillion-pound contract to provide secondary healthcare - missed 15 out of 22 performance targets.

Scrutiny Management Committee President Andy Sloan said HSC President Deputy George Oswald "needs to remember he was elected to represent the public interest not producer interest."

In a written statement on the report HSC President Deputy George Oswald said: "High waiting times remain an issue and reducing them remains a priority for us."

Sloan said Guernsey's "lived experience of health spending is a culture of no questions asked, demand led growth trumps challenge".

The States' contract with MSG is worth around £18m a year and according to the report on the key performance indicators (KPI), in 2025 the group met seven of its targets, missing 15.

The main areas where targets were missed were waiting times, delayed transfers of care, complaints response times, clinic/theatre punctuality, discharge summaries and outpatient appointment cancellations.

The MSG chairwoman Dr Michelle Le Cheminant had refused to hold an interview.

In the statement, Oswald said: "We understand that waiting a long time for an appointment or admission can be frustrating for patients and their families, and alongside the Medical Specialist Group, we are continually working behind the scenes to make improvements within existing budgets.

"Reviewing waiting lists and redirecting patients to other diagnostic services that better meet their needs has proven to be effective for gastroenterology waiting lists so far, and it is the intention to work through the largest and longest waiting lists using the same principles."

This will be the last report in this format according to the HSC and the MSG.

When asked how it will be reporting progress on KPIs moving forward a spokesperson for the group said: "MSG is looking at doing more regular reporting throughout the year, what this looks like has not yet been made public.

"When we can give any more information, we will."

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