I was born in Jersey, and educated at first Tower School and Jersey College for Girls. I trained as a Registered General Nurse at University College, London, and as a midwife at Southmead Hospital, Bristol.
Upon returning to Jersey I settled in Trinity, where I have lived for the past 36 years, and up until my election as Deputy 9 years ago, I worked as a Home Care Sister with Jersey Hospice Care.
For the past 9 years I have committed myself wholeheartedly to serve in the States as Deputy for the Parish of Trinity with an emphasis on making myself available, through Parish Hall Surgeries, to address the concerns and problems of all parishioners. During this time I have been closely involved in all walks of Parish life, including Trinity Primary School, the Battle of Flowers, as well as being President of Trinity Youth Club, of which I was a founder member.
I continue to be a committee member of Le Grand Clos which has delivered 25 affordable life-long homes for our young families and Les Maisons Cabot homes for the elderly of our Parish. I pledge to be involved in building the 2nd phase of our life-long homes for young people and the 5 sheltered homes.
If re-elected I will look at the feasibility, with Parish support, of setting up a Community Support Scheme to help those of all ages in our Parish who are elderly, infirm or vulnerable by providing assistance with such things as shopping, hospital visits or collecting prescriptions.
For 6 years now I have been Minister of Health and Social Services responsible for a department with an annual budget of £200m and over 2,500 staff caring for the health and wellbeing of all Islanders. I have championed issues such as extra funding for Clinique Pinel, the Intensive Care Unit, and Oakwell Children’s Home and I act as Chair of the Children’s Policy Group protecting vulnerable children. I was involved in negotiations with the UK, to reinstate the reciprocal health agreement so vital for Islanders requiring emergency health care.
I believe we must ensure that there is sustainable funding of future health care needs. I advocate a redesigning of all of primary care services to ensure that they are affordable and accessible for all. If elected, I will support the progress, without delay, of the new hospital development.
Looking to the future and the digital world, I firmly believe that we must ensure our children leave school with the right skills to satisfy the needs of a rapidly diversifying economy. More apprenticeship courses and back to work schemes are essential to support local businesses and trades. I will support affordable housing schemes and promise to look at ways of working with farmers to help them compete by encouraging ‘buy local’ campaigns.
If elected, I pledge and look forward to continuing to work hard and always in the best interests of the Parish of Trinity and the Island as a whole.