Latest Posts

The Community Nurses, managed by Community Nursing Officer, Christine Laskey, (photos attached) are pleased with the success of the re-opening of the Half Tree Hollow and Longwood clinics.

Each district clinic has been attended on average by 20 members of the public each day, some for general health checks and others for nurse assessment, treatment and triage.  The pharmacy bus which has been present at most of the clinics has also been well utilised.  It is hoped that Levelwood clinic will be open soon, once staff numbers and necessary works are in place.

During this time the community nurses have maintained their usual specialist clinic schedules for Outpatients at the General Hospital and St John’s Villa, as well as continuing to visit housebound clients around the Island.  In the future, the new Community Health Promotion Trainer, Marian Kanes (photo attached), hopes to open Weight Loss clinics, Stop Smoking groups and Mother and Baby Drop-In groups, in order to utilise the district clinics further.  It is also envisaged that the community nurses will carry out some of their specialist clinics in the district clinics, including clinics for diabetes, gynaecology and hypertension.

Opening times of District Clinics:

Half Tree Hollow – Monday (including pharmacy bus) and Friday (no pharmacy bus), 10am – 12.30pm.

Longwood – Wednesday (including pharmacy bus), 10am – 12.30pm.

The full community team consists of;

• Community Nursing Officer – Christine Laskey
• Community Nurses – Sister Jackie Henry, Staff Nurse Mandy Thomas, Staff Nurse Ruth Young, Staff Nurse Samantha Thomas, Staff Nurse Marilyn Pidgley, Staff Nurse Sarah Newman, Nursing Assistant Bridget Henry.
• Community Psychiatric Nurse – Ian Rummery.
• Physiotherapy Department – Esther Rodrigo and Rosemary Walton
• Occupational Therapy Department – Adele Bailey and Carolyn Greentree
• Health Promotion Trainer – Marian Kanes

The community nursing team can be contacted on telephone number 22500, ext 329.

SHG

6 July 2015

Lesley Giles arrived on Island on Thursday 25 June 2015 to take on her role as St Helena’s new Prison Manager, for a term of two years.  Her key objective will now be to oversee the relocation of the new Prison from Jamestown to Half Tree Hollow.

Lesley said:

“The new facility at Half Tree Hollow will be completely different to the current conditions of the Prison in Jamestown.  Part of my role is to prepare the staff for this big change – as the layout and conditions of the new Prison will be very different.  This new environment, including security and prisoner welfare, all have to be properly considered to ensure a smooth transition.”     

Lesley commented that there is of course a big difference between resources on St Helena compared to her previous positions.  A new change for Lesley is also working very closely with the Police Service, a service which is completely separate from prisons in the UK.

Lesley remarked:

“The dedicated staff ensure that the current prison runs very well, considering the challenges working in an older prison brings.”

Lesley joined the UK Prison Service in 1990, working her way up from officer to Governor level.  She has worked in HMP Prison Downview, Glen Parva – the largest young offender’s institution in Europe – and was Deputy Governor in Blantyre House Prison (in Kent) – where prisoners are sent out into the community daily – something which Lesley hopes to apply more regularly on Island.

Lesley is also focused on performance management, monitoring targets and up-skilling staff.

SHG

6 July 2015

COMMENTS WELCOME

St Helena Government is seeking views from the public on the licensing of sports fishing and recreational boat fishing activities in St Helena waters.

Fisheries legislation has provisions to enable the licensing of fishing activities in St Helena but licensing is currently only carried out for commercial fishing.

Management and protection of St Helena’s fish stocks is important to all the Island’s fisheries stakeholders and critical to this objective is the establishment and implementation of a licensing regime that supports responsible fishing and productive use of our fishery resources.

It is proposed to license sports fishing and recreational boat fishing for both angling and spear fishing of pelagic species.

This licensing proposal is intended to bring fishing into line with other sectors benefitting through use of the Island’s natural resources.

There are no licence requirements or fees to be charged for rock fishing as this is recognised as being a traditional form of fishing activity which fisheries stakeholders want to encourage in its current form.

An electronic copy of the proposal can be found on the SHG website at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/documents/Fisheries-Licencing-Consultation-Document. Hard copies are also available and can be collected from the Scotland or Essex House reception desks. Further information can be obtained from the Senior Fisheries Officer, Gerald Benjamin, on tel no. 24724.

The closing date for responses is 4pm on Thursday 30 July 2015. Please send your comments to Gerald Benjamin via email gerald-benjamin@enrd.gov.sh

A summary of all feedback received through this exercise will be provided to the Economic Development Committee for consideration before the establishment of a fisheries licensing policy.

SHG

3 July 2015

Due to the Triathlon race in Jamestown on Sunday 12 July 2015 the planned road closure of Ladder Hill Road on that day has been amended.

The road will now be closed from 7am to 8.30am. It will then be reopened but maintenance works will continue, with traffic being managed. There may be some minor delays and drivers are asked to please drive with caution.

Diversion signs will be in place during the closure and as usual emergency service vehicles will be granted access.

The Roads Section would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank the public in advance for their continued understanding and cooperation.

SHG

3 July 2015

 

This press release is further to the release issued by the Chief of Police on 19 May 2015.

As part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Mr Mervyn Crowie, Police are today, Friday 3 July 2015, exhuming Mr Crowie’s body for forensic examination.

The family of Mr Crowie are aware and are being supported at this difficult time.  A religious service has been held prior to the exhumation.

Detective Chief Inspector Pam Trevillion said:

“I urge any person who has information in relation to the death of Mr Crowie to come forward and contact us, in the strictest confidence.”

Notes to Editors

The press release issued by Chief of Police Trevor Botting on 19 May 2015 stated:

‘Just after 11pm on Saturday 22 April 2006 a man was found lying in the Run at the rear of the Standard Public House, Jamestown. The man, Mervyn Crowie, was subsequently declared deceased soon after 11.30pm that same evening.

An investigation into Mr Crowie’s death was carried out and it was concluded that his death was accidental.

Following a recent further examination of this case, the circumstances that led to the death of Mr Crowie are to be the subject of a further investigation.

The family of Mr Crowie are aware of these developments and are being supported and kept up-to-date by local Officers.

No further details will be released at this time but if any person has any information in relation to the death of Mr Crowie they are asked to contact the St Helena Police Service.’

Pam Trevillion

Acting Chief of Police

SHG

3 July 2015

ESH Press Release Investor Prospectus

Investment Prospectus is available for download at: www.investinsthelena.com

The Highways Authority has given approval for Ladder Hill Road to be closed on Sunday 12 July 2015, to carry out road maintenance works.

The road will be closed from 8am to 2pm. 

Diversion signs will be in place and, as usual, emergency service vehicles will be granted access.

The Roads Section would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank the public in advance for their continued understanding and cooperation.

SHG

2 July 2015

 

The St Helena Ferry Service saw the delivery of its new vessel on 30 June 2015.  The previous ferry – decommissioned by St Helena Government earlier this year – had suffered corrosion to its aluminium hull and was deemed uneconomic to repair.

AMD Engineering was contracted by SHG to produce a new Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) hull ferry boat, and Adrian Duncan and his team based the new vessel on the previous boat, moulding the hull around the old one.  The new GRP hull will ensure that repairs can be done easily on the Island.

Assistant Financial Secretary, Dax Richards, said:

“It’s good to take receipt of the new Ferry Boat.  It has been a difficult time for the new operators without having a dedicated boat, but the new boat looks fantastic and is now in service.  Adrian and his team have shown just what can be produced locally.

“With the new GRP hull we hope that this boat will last just as long as the previous one which served the Island for over 30 years.”

Enchanted Isle Limited, owned by Jonathan Herne & Gina Benjamin, has been operating the St Helena Ferry Service since 17 March 2015.

Enchanted Isle Ltd said:

“We are very pleased to finally receive the new Ferry Boat.  We have had to overcome many difficulties in order to keep the St Helena Ferry Service running, but with the brand new boat now in the water we look forward to offering an improved service to all users.”

Two pictures are attached.

SHG

1 July 2015

Darren Clarke has been appointed the new Director of Health for St Helena, and arrived on Island on Thursday 18 June 2015 on a two year contract.

Darren said:

“Firstly I would like to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of staff across the Health Directorate, and in particular the excellent work of my predecessor, David Jenkins and his senior management team.”  

He remarked on the solid foundations currently in place to deliver and build on key initiatives in the Health Directorate, including the Hospital Redevelopment, nursing training programmes, better meeting dietary needs of admitted patients, strengthening of community nursing in Island clinics and enhancing surgical facilities.

Darren commented:

“I aim to actively promote and facilitate sustainable and evidence-based practices that are primarily focused on attainting the highest possible results.  This will include a focus on further implementing and embedding a Directorate-wide quality and risk framework – to monitor and assess all aspects of our performance.  In the longer term, we will pursue internationally-recognised certification and accreditation of our Health services.”

Having spent 32 years working in the health sector in the Australian Government, Darren has a very wide range of experience to draw upon whilst in post.  He has spent time working for both State and Commonwealth Government in a regulatory capacity and has managed health services in rural Australia, including ones in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.  Darren has also worked closely with community groups, identifying their needs and reflecting them in hospital delivery.

At the beginning of his career, Darren was employed in a teaching hospital, where he completed nursing and midwifery training, leading to him taking on the role of Quality Coordinator.  Having both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nursing has also allowed Darren to complete a Doctor of Health Science degree, in which he examined one of his key interests within the health sector – that of organisational culture and occupational stress and to develop strategies to prevent intra-professional workplace bullying – making several recommendations which were subsequently adopted.

SHG

1 July 2015

 

TO ST HELENA COURT OF APPEAL

On Tuesday 23 June 2015 – and after conducting an open and rigorous recruitment process – Acting Governor Sean Burns appointed a President of the St Helena Court of Appeal, together with three Justices of Appeal to the Court – under the 2009 Constitution of St Helena, Ascension & Tristan da Cunha.

The Constitution establishes a Supreme Court and a Court of Appeal for the Territories of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.  Although three separate Territories, they are one territorial grouping under the Crown, so the same Supreme Court and Court of Appeal preside over all three Territories.

The Supreme Court is presided over by the Chief Justice who is responsible for the administration of justice in all three Territories and who also sits as a Recorder in England.

The Court of Appeal has jurisdiction to hear and determine appeals from the courts of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.  Appeals normally lie to the Court of Appeal from the Supreme Court on questions of law or with the leave of the Supreme Court from cases where it has exercised its criminal, civil or appellate jurisdiction.

Appeals may also be heard on questions of general or public importance or where the Court of Appeal grants leave.

On 23 June 2015, and with immediate effect, the following persons were appointed to the St Helena Court of Appeal:

• Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders, as President of the Court of Appeal
• His Honour Judge Michael Paul Yelton, as Justice of Appeal
• His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo, as Justice of Appeal, and
• Ms Lorna Alison Drummond, as Justice of Appeal.

SHG

30 June 2015