In brief: The Jersey Care Commission is preparing to extend independent inspections to the island’s hospital, ambulance and government-run mental health services, following changes to the Regulation of Care Law approved by the States Assembly in November 2025. Health staff are being invited to share their experiences confidentially, with inspections set to begin in 2027.
A New Era of Independent Oversight
Jersey’s health and care sector is about to come under a sharper independent spotlight. The Jersey Care Commission, which already regulates care homes, home care, adult day care and services for children and young people, is now gearing up to extend its remit to cover the island’s hospital, ambulance service and government-run mental health services.
The expansion follows changes to the Regulation of Care Law approved by the States Assembly in November 2025. All services covered by the expansion were required to apply for registration by October 2026, and the commission confirmed to the Jersey Evening Post that all relevant services are now in the process of becoming registered. Inspections themselves will begin in 2027, planned according to risk.
Chief inspector Becky Sherrington set out the watchdog’s purpose plainly: to recognise good practice, identify where improvements are needed and, in her words, “hold providers to account for the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care.” She added that regulation provides Islanders with “independent assurance about the quality and safety of the care they receive by setting clear, evidence-based standards and assessing services against those standards in a fair, proportionate and transparent way.”
Staff Survey and Public Engagement
To help shape the inspection process, the commission has launched a confidential survey aimed at all Health and Care Jersey staff. The survey will be conducted by Picker, an independent organisation with experience delivering staff surveys across NHS services. The findings are intended both to support the commission’s inspection work and to help Health and Care Jersey itself understand staff experiences, recognise what is working well and identify areas in need of improvement.
Ms Sherrington noted it had been “really positive” to see the engagement from providers so far, and said the commission is committed to working with them during the preparation phase. That collaborative tone is worth noting: this is not a process being parachuted in overnight, but one that has been building since the legislative changes were agreed last year.
For members of the public who want to know more, the commission will hold two free engagement events at Jersey Library on 12 November. The first runs from noon to 2pm, and the second from 5.30pm to 8.30pm. No registration is required, and both providers and members of the public are welcome to attend to learn more about independent regulation and inspection.
Why This Matters for Islanders
Jersey’s hospital and mental health services have not previously been subject to the same independent inspection regime as care homes and similar providers. The extension of that framework is a meaningful step. Independent scrutiny of public health services is something most people, regardless of political persuasion, tend to regard as straightforwardly sensible: if the care is good, inspections will say so; if it is not, Islanders deserve to know.
The use of Picker, an organisation with NHS experience, suggests the commission is drawing on established methodology rather than reinventing the wheel. Whether the findings of the staff survey will be made public, and in what form, remains to be seen.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
