Over 250 Jersey Patients Require Repeat Bone Scans Following Review
More than 200 patients on Jersey are being recalled for repeat bone density scans after an independent review highlighted significant concerns with diagnoses and treatment recommendations. The Government of Jersey announced that an analysis of over 1,000 bone densitometry (DEXA) scans conducted between January 2017 and January 2022 identified potential issues, with approximately 250 individuals requiring a follow-up scan to monitor bone density changes. In 20 of these cases, patient care was deemed to have fallen “below the level that would have been expected.”
Simon West, Medical Director for Health and Care Jersey, issued a sincere apology to all affected patients, acknowledging the unsettling nature of the news. He stressed that the deficiencies lay in the reporting of the scans, rather than the quality of the scan itself or the person performing it.
The potential issues were identified in September 2025 during a broader review of rheumatology services. A new independent review was promptly commissioned, leading to swift action to contact patients and arrange rescan appointments. Additional clinics have been organised, with the goal of seeing all recalled patients by the end of May 2026. Patients are advised to continue their prescribed medication and attend existing appointments as normal. Health and Care Jersey reassures the public that the current DEXA service is reliable and that patients scanned after January 2022 are unaffected, as are those who do not receive a recall by the end of April 2026.
Mr West emphasised that the review demonstrates Health and Care Jersey’s commitment to continually improving service quality, aiming to leave islanders “assured rather than disheartened” by the findings.
