20 patient deaths have been referred to the viscount for investigation after a review revealed concerns about their care and treatment in the rheumatology department.

HCS Medical Director Patrick Armstrong says this means there is "concern that treatment may have contributed to their deaths", which they have a duty under Jersey law to refer to the viscount and the police. 

This forms part of a larger review of the department after a junior doctor blew the whistle on two doctors, Dr Y and Z's, practices in the department. 

Since then, the Royal College of Physicians found in their investigation that over half of patients were mis-prescribed biologic drugs for their condition. 

The prescription of these drugs, usually used to treat conditions like cancer and Crohn's disease, did not comply with either UK or EU guidelines.

READ MORE: Over Half Of Rheumatology Patients Misprescribed Drugs

The ongoing investigation surrounding patients who died after being treated by the rheumatology service is underway. 

190 cases, from 2019- 2022, have been identified, with 120 being reviewed so far. 

Of these 120 cases, one-third revealed 'concerns about care and treatment' and are subject to an independent Mortality Learning Review (MLR), which an independent clinician conducts. 

20 deaths have been referred to the viscount, who carries out coroner duties. 

HCS Medical Director, Patrick Armstrong

Health and Community Services (HCS) Medical Director Patrick Armstrong tells us what this means:

"Where we think treatments relating to some form of medication may have impacted on someone's death, we have an obligation to refer them to the viscount. 

"We have reviewed their care through a Mortality Learning Review and have had further experts look at their care. 

"There either definitely could be or there might be a link between the care they were receiving and their deaths, and under Jersey law, we have an obligation to inform the police about that if we think it may require further investigation.

"That further investigation is usually in the form of a viscount's inquest."

Of the doctors investigated, Channel 103 were told one has left the organisation and the other is still employed and on the payroll of HCS. 

On request of the viscount, the timeline for the investigation, between 2019 and 2022, is being extended to pre-2019. 

This will seek to identify whether any more patients and their families may have been affected by the mis-prescription of the drugs.

READ MORE: Rheumatology Care 'Well Below' Standard

Patrick Armstrong has this message to the people of Jersey: 

"I would like to apologise unreservedly to the patients and families who have been affected by this. 

"To the wider general public, I would like to reassure them that a massive amount of really hard and impressive work has been done by the team to improve the service. 

"Of the 26 recommendations of the report, 16 are fully implemented and 10 are well on their way." 

The health body hopes to make settlement offers to those affected later this year.