A report into safety standards at Jersey's General Hospital may never be made public.

The Aitkenhead Report was commissioned following the death of a patient after routine surgery.

Now the island's Health And Safety Inspectorate says the law does not allow the document to be published.

It was written last summer following concerns over an operation which went wrong at Jersey's General Hospital. There was a further follow up report produced last month.

While some of its contents were read out at an inquest at the Royal Court earlier this month, just what the whole document and its appendices actually say about hospital safety standards is not fully known.

We do know the Aitkenhead Report highlights reservations about the clinical judgement of a surgeon.

We understand it flags up concerns about the appraisals of doctors who work at the hospital.

And we know it raises questions about key players being employed on temporary contracts.

All of that said, hospital managers say the report is just a snapshot of a moment in time, and that standards are always improving.

Andrew McLaughlin, managing director of the General Hospital, said: "I think it's very important that people realise that care in Jersey is safe. The hospital is safe. We have some superb dedicated staff and they go well beyond what can be required. You're always better off contacting healthcare professionals than you are not doing so if you believe there's something wrong with your health and there are some very professional people here who can help you."

Reassurances all round, but for some, publication of the Aitkenhead Report is the only healthy outcome.