I wholly refute the allegations and accusations made about me in the Sark Newsletter. I will be issuing a full statement in due course, setting out my reasons for leaving Sark.
Thank you to all those people who have continued to support me, your help is much appreciated.
Peter Counsell
Sark Doctor
The Surgery will be open as follows over the Christmas Period.
Christmas Eve Normal morning surgery only
Christmas Day Surgery Closed
Boxing Day Surgery Closed
Tuesday 27th Bank Holiday – Surgery Closed
Wednesday 28th Normal morning surgery
Thursday 29th Normal morning and afternoon surgeries
Friday 30th Normal morning and afternoon surgeries
New Year’s Eve Normal morning surgery only
New Year’s Day Surgery Closed
Monday 2nd Bank Holiday – Surgery closed
Tuesday 3rd Normal morning and afternoon surgeries
Out of hours service continues as normal. Call 07781 100 815 for emergencies only.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our patients from Peter, Fiona and Shannon.
Immunisation for ‘flu is now available at the Sark Medical Centre. This year the injection contains the three strains of the virus that are most likley to cause influenza on Sark this season.We are contacting those who have had the immunisation here in previous years who are automatically offered the same again. The immunisation is given in a ‘flu clinic and the charge is £20, £10 of which goes to the Professor Saint Fund.
If you have not had the immunisation here previously and you are in an ‘at risk group’ or you would like to be added to the list for any other reason please contact us at the surgery.
For information on who should have this vaccine and to find out more about this serious but preventable disease please see the NHS website here.
Dr Peter Counsell
There have been several cases of suspected chicken pox affecting children on Sark in the last week. It is a common childhood infection which is usually self-limiting. This viral infection causes a raised red rash often preceded by a fever, aching and headache. Dry cough and sore throat are also common.
Chicken pox is very infectious and it takes 11-20 days to develop symptoms after exposure. A person who has chicken pox is infectious from 2 days prior to the rash appearing until all the spots have crusted over (usually 5-6 days later). Children should remain off school and playschool until this time. Treatment for children is supportive with paracetamol if needed for pain or fever and calamine lotion for itching (available from shops on Sark). If you or your child are becoming unwell with this illness, please contact the doctor.
If you or your child think you may have developed chicken pox, please let us know at the surgery. The disease is less common in adults but because the symptoms are often more severe it is best to be seen by the doctor within 24 hours of the rash appearing as antiviral treatment may be needed. For more information about this disease please visit here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information.
Dr Peter Counsell
The newly renovated Marine Ambulance – Flying Christine III – is now back in service after upgrades to its two engines in England. It is now even faster than before, with a top speed of 27 knots.
Emergency care on Sark is always a team effort. Every year residents and visitors to Sark call for help when they develop acute illness or injury and the response involves many different people. I am assisted by residents locally trained in First Aid, the Sark Ambulance Service and the Sark Fire and Rescue Service who are available 24/7 all year round. We provide care and treatment to the casualty as soon as we arrive at the scene. The patient’s ongoing care is then transferred to St John Ambulance and Rescue. They are always available to help with any emergency and provide an excellent service not only through the use of the recently renovated Flying Christine III but more importantly by using highly trained personnel who are able to safely manage any medical emergency that may occur.
We also rely upon and are grateful for the provision of alternative forms of transport when the Flying Christine cannot be used. These include the Lifeboat, the Access Challenger and the 
Brecqhou Lass and Chief. The option of helicopter evacuation from Sark is always considered as part of the emergency response, depending on its availability and the nature of the casualty’s illness. For more information on the medical response process in place since June 2008 please see this document (pdf).
St John have started a new subscription scheme which all residents are invited to support. Single subscription costs £88 per year and £132 for a family. Those who subscribe will not be charged should they require the Marine Ambulance or any vessel acting in its place. The subscription also covers use of the road ambulance on Guernsey. There will be a charge of £300 for non-subscribers for the use of the Marine Ambulance when called to Sark.
The true cost of providing this service is far higher than these charges (approximately £2000 per visit) and is supported entirely by public donation. You can download an application form here or collect one from the Sark Medical Centre or contact St. John Ambulance and Rescue directly on 01481 723 866 for more information.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this information.
Dr Peter Counsell
Sark Doctor
Dear Patients,
as many of you will already be aware, there have been many more cases of measles than usual in Europe over the last few months. If your children have not been vaccinated or you are not sure whether they need further vaccination, please contact the surgery. You can find more information about this serious but preventable disease here.
Please note that there has been found to be NO link between the MMR immunisation and the development of autism in children.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
Dr P Counsell
The medication charge made by the Professor Saint Trust has increased to £5.50 per medication per month from 1st June 2011. We would be grateful if any cheque payments for medication could be made out to the Professor Saint Trust and not to the doctor. Many thanks.
Dear Sark residents,
as you may have heard through the media, the issue of healthcare charging in the Bailiwick is becoming a hot topic. The increased tariff became effective here on 1st April.
HSSD’s justification for increasing the tariff (I assume the same goes for all the other charge increases) is that they have done so with the consent of four major private insurance companies (not the ones that provide the Sark Scheme). I think this argument misses the point that they have increased charging beyond what was only barely affordable for most people to fees that are frankly unaffordable. The insurance companies are bound to pass any increases on to the patients at their renewal dates as they will still seek to make the same profits for their shareholders. Premiums will then rise, making healthcare even less affordable. Insurance companies would be unlikely to refuse to agree to the rates because if the did, patients would complain to them and not renew their insurance with that company.
The other argument that is being used is that the tariff is comparable to that charged by private hospitals in the UK. This is irrelevant because they are not comparing like with like. Private hospitals in the UK deal mainly in elective operative procedures – for instance if someone wanted their hip replaced sooner than was available on the NHS. The PEH is fulfilling the role that an NHS hospital would in the UK by processing blood tests for routine care, emergencies, chronic conditions and screening and providing emergency care as well as outpatient and elective procedures. In the UK private hospitals have no direct role in managing chronic conditions, screening or primary (GP) care. They also have no role in emergency care. Private hospitals in the UK are bound to have a different charging structure because they are providing a completely different service. Unlike on Sark, in the UK there is always the NHS to fall back on when insurers stop paying for chronic conditions or when conditions are excluded from cover which is another common problem for those relying on private insurance.
The real question is whether the increases in the tariff take into account the damaging impact on Sark’s residents, most importantly the elderly and those with chronic illness and whether the increases are actually affordable. I believe the answer to these questions is NO and a separate tariff for Sark residents should be offered. We are part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, our statistics are published in the public health reports and we are involved in the major incident planning for the Bailiwick. Sark has always paid its way and profits were made by HSSD from Sark patients before the increases.
It is easy for HSSD to say to Sark “find another provider” but anyone who knows the geography of this part of the world will realise that this means sending patients who are often unwell or disabled past a hospital that could easily provide what they need all the way to another island or the UK. In emergencies, using another provider is not possible. HSSD has the advantage of a captive group of privately paying patients in Sark but with that comes the responsibility not to subject them to unfair charges and exploitation. Sark deserves a fair deal and I hope that a solution can be found soon.
Peter Counsell
Sark Doctor
Unfortunately, despite representations from the Sark Medical Committee and myself, no concessions for residents of Sark are going to be made on the charges for pathology processing by Guernsey’s HSSD. Please see the following report (.pdf) for more information.
It has also come to my attention that the charging structure for inpatient and outpatient treatment has been changed significantly with the potential for large increases when compared with last year’s prices. Clearly we are in a difficult position on Sark because we rely on the sevices provided by the Princess Elizabeth Hospital for emergency care. Sark residents should not be forced to travel further afield because HSSD are insisting on making large profits from them. The suggestion that Sark can simply choose another provider makes no sense as we cannot send ill people further afield than the closest hospital capable of providing emergency care which is the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
I believe that Sark patients should be given a separate tariff for all HSSD’s services, reflecting the fact that Sark residents have no state medical provision to fall back on. This should allow HSSD to make reasonable profit on behalf of Guernsey’s taxpayers and patients but HSSD should not unfairly profit from Sark residents.
Whilst I remain very happy with the clinical services provided by the staff and specialists of the PEH who do an excellent job in providing first quality care, I am not happy with the huge increases in charges applied to Sark without consultation or regard to the impact this may have on our residents who are elderly and those with chronic illness. Like it or not, HSSD is responsible for the impact of its pricing increases on Sark’s residents and I hope that a solution can be found before we see the consequences of these ill considered actions.
Dr Peter Counsell
Medical assistance for the ‘Rumble on the Rock’ evening will be provided by a paramedic from St John Ambulance, myself as the on-call doctor for the island and the Sark Ambulance Service with further first aid on standby. I hope that our services will not be required but wish to point out that it is my intention that any medical emergency that occurs on Sark will not be delayed by this event and will take precedence over the fight. This event is run by Simply Sark and I understand from the organisers that charities will benefit from the monies raised.
Pennies from heaven (Sark based society helping people and families affected by mental illness of which I am the chairman) will not be the recipient of the funds raised.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update.
Dr Peter Counsell
Kubatana Amnesty International