HSSD

HSSD was formed after the reformation of the various States Departments. It was formed form the Board of Health and the Guernsey Social Security Authority.

Social Security

The Social Security Department have a similar role to Social Services in the UK, and so they cover areas such as unemployment benefit, sick pay etc. They are also responsible for paying the drug bill for the Island for all drugs issued on Prescriptions.  Social Security also pay the travel costs when patients are referred off the island. They are also responsible for the payment of Accident at Work insurance claims.

Health Benefit Grant

If you have a Health Benefit Card then the benefits that you can have include a Grant towards the cost of seeing the Doctor (currently £12), a grant towards the cost of seeing the Nurse (currently £4) and prescription medication. You are also entitled to treatment from the Medical Specialist Group and to be admitted to the Hospital.

Prescriptions

When you see the Doctor, if you are given a prescription, you take it to the Pharmacy of your choice and you hand it in. You will then be given the drug that your Doctor prescribed  for you. To get this, you have to pay a prescription charge (currently £2.30). This money is paid to the Social Security and NOT to the Pharmacy. It goes towards the cost of the drugs and the dispensing fee. Many of the drugs that you might be prescribed can be more than £2.30. In fact, some of them can be much more than this. As a result, the Social Security has to pay the Pharmacy the costs of the drugs. The costs of all these drugs runs into a significant amount of money. Whilst it is important that we all receive the medications that we need to help us get better, it is also important that we do not waste any medications. If you no longer feel that you need your medication, the please let the Surgery know and we will stop the prescriptions.

Travel Grants

When patients need to be seen for medical treatment or investigation / assessment and the facilities are not available on the island then the Social Security are  usually responsible for the travel costs. You will need to get a form from the Surgery to take to the Travel Agent to book the journey. If you need any help or advice with this then please contact Social Security.

Princess Elizabeth Hospital

This is the main hospital on the island. The HSSD staffs the hospital apart from the Doctors in the Accident and Emergency Department and the Medical Specialists. Some of the Doctors, however, in the hospital are employed by the Department. These include the Doctors working in the Pathology Department, the X Ray Department, and the Psychiatric Department.

Castel Hospital

This is where the Psychiatric Services are based. Some of the wards are long stay wards. Albecq Ward is an Acute Psychiatric Ward. The Hospital also has a Day Centre. The Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPN's) are based here, as are the Psychologists and the Psychiatric Social Workers. They all work together to make the Community Mental health Teams.

King Edward Hospital

This is where the Geriatric Services are based. There are also Social Workers involved in the Care of the Elderly here.

Lukis House

This is where a lot of the Community Services are based. The Health Visitors and School Nurses are also based here. There is also a Community Paediatric Clinic here.

Pathology Lab

The Pathology Lab is based up at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. Many of the tests and investigations requested by the Medical Staff are carried out on the island. Some of the tests, however, have to be done in the UK. These include the Cervical Smear Screening tests, which are all carried out by the BUPA Laboratory in Bristol. Blood Donor sessions also take place up at the Pathology Lab. If you would like to become a Blood Donor then please feel free to call them and
discuss the details.

Originally patients used to be able to have their blood taken up at the Laboratory, but this has recently changed. Now, patients who are on Warfarin, patients who are under the care of the clinics at the hospital and a few other patients can have their blood taken there, but everyone else will have to have blood taken with the nurse at the GP surgeries.

Bulstrode House

This is a Cancer Care Unit. It is based up at the PEH and looks after many of the patients with cancer. Patients will often receive their Chemotherapy here, and there are special Cancer Care Nurses who are based there. They see people both at Bulstrode House and in their own homes if they are too ill to get to the Hospital.

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