Contract stands despite St John changes

Wednesday 01 May 2019

The contract, recently signed between HSC and St John, won't be affected at all by the changes announced to the way Guernsey's ambulance service is run.

A spokesperson for the Committee for Health and Social Care said it has been "fully briefed by the St John Commandery as regards the changes that they are making to the structure of the two operating subsidiaries in Guernsey: St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, and St John Guernsey (Limited By Guarantee)."

It was announced yesterday that a 'major organisational shake-up' has seen the emergency and voluntary side of the island's ambulance service fully merged, with new senior staff appointed to run the amalgamated organisation.

As part of that, the Chief Ambulance Officer was replaced, while her Deputy is believed to have resigned, with both roles now filled by people with more medical experience.

The organisation's new Chairman, experienced operationally-focussed businessman Roy Tilleard, said the transition would be "seamless" and that the public should not notice any changes to the day-to-day delivery of emergency or first aid services. 

One of the overarching aims of the reorganisation was to "raise the prominence and influence of qualified medical practitioners within the organisation", something which is reflected in the new appointments and the make-up of the Executive Committee.

Mark Mapp, an experienced operational paramedic and clinical instructor, has been appointed Chief Ambulance Officer, while SJARS Senior Officer Dean de la Mare, has been promoted to Deputy Chief Officer. Dr Neil Robinson and Dr Aruni Sen have been appointed Medical Director and Medical Advisor respectively. Both are experienced consultants in Emergency Medicine based at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. 

Pictured: Chairman of St John Ambulance Guernsey, Roy Tilleard.

While we're told the public won't see any difference in the services offered, by either the former emergency services or the voluntary and charitable side, HSC said it has also received "written assurance...that the changes will raise the prominence and influence of qualified medical practitioners in the St John organisation, and that there will be no discontinuity, or dilution of quality in the services they provide as a result of these changes."

HSC already works closely with the ambulance service, which is run separately to the island's other health services, and the committee said it will continue to work closely with the Commandery during this period of transition, "using its dedicated contract monitoring officers to ensure that its interests, and those of the public served are maintained at the highest levels."

The contract signed between HSC and St John went live in January 2019 for the provision of these services and it remains unchanged with an expectation from HSC that St John Ambulance Guernsey "will be expected to deliver as prescribed throughout and beyond this period."

Pictured: HSC and the ambulance service work closely together and will continue to do so.