Jersey PMOS clinic a ‘good start’

Jersey is launching a pilot PMOS health check clinic for women to improve follow-up care and access to specialist support.

The clinic will operate at the Assisted Reproductive Unit in St Brelade from October, providing health checks rather than diagnosing or treating the condition.

Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) will need to see their GP before being referred to the service.

Jessica Pinel, chair of PMOS Jersey, described the service as “a good start” but said more could be done.

She said the clinic was in line with draft guidance from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises annual checks to identify health issues associated with the condition.

Pinel was diagnosed with PMOS in 2023 after spending more than £3,100 on treatment.

She said: “We need to realise that cost may be a barrier to people getting support, even if the cost is going to their GP. But I think we do have to be grateful that we have had this service approved.

“Because the clinic is part of the government health system, it allows for referrals to be made into different pathways like endocrinology, dermatology, so it could actually allow for better support and reduce costs for women with PMOS.

“I think it’s great to see things moving forward and, for women who are newly diagnosed, there’s going to be a more joined-up approach and we’re now taking the long-term health consequences of PMOS more seriously.”

PMOS, which was renamed from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in May, is a metabolic condition that changes how the ovaries work and affects up to one in eight women, according to the UK’s NHS.

The new name was introduced to reflect the condition’s effects across the body. PMOS has been linked to infertility and weight gain.

The Jersey government said the clinic would help women access further care for PMOS and associated conditions, including type 2 diabetes.

Screening clinic nurse Corrinne Purdy said reviews would take a holistic approach, covering medication, height and weight, sleep, management of the condition, fertility aspirations and mental health.

She said: “We will see whether they’re getting on alright with their medication, how they’re feeling about themselves; we will do height and weight reviews, we will ask them questions about their sleep, how they’re managing their condition.

“We will also speak to them about any particular fertility aspirations and how they’re getting with their mental health as well.”

Purdy said PMOS had been “overlooked” for a long time and that many women struggle with associated symptoms.

The government said women who require specialist management for heavy menstrual bleeding, fertility concerns or other gynaecological conditions would be referred to the appropriate specialist service.

It said existing waiting lists for gynaecology or surgical capacity would not be affected because additional clinical capacity had been identified.

Assistant Minister for Health and Social Services Andy Howell said many women “have been suffering” with PMOS and that the trial was intended to show “that we’re taking them seriously and they’re not going to be dismissed”.

Howell said funding for the clinic would be “managed within the budget that we have at the moment, so it’s not going to cost us any more”.

The Health Department was allocated £381m for 2026 as part of the government’s 2026-2029 budget.

The clinic will also offer investigations including ultrasound scans and endometrial biopsies during the same visit.

Howell said Jersey would base its review of the service on NICE guidance, while Pinel said feedback from women using the clinic would be shared with practitioners to help improve the support provided.