A LACK of understanding about the true cost of care is the biggest single threat to the future health of the island, the director of public health claimed today. Dr David Jeffs used his annual report to step once more into the ongoing row over the funding of the health service.

He said it made little sense to cut back on local services when the cost of off-island treatment continued to rise rapidly and he pushed for above-RPI increases to the annual health budget.

‘It may be ﾓan inconvenient truthﾔ, but to continue to enjoy modern, effective and safe health services in Guernsey will require more than RPI increases in health spend.’

Dr Jeffs accepted that the island’s per capita expenditure on health was in line with most European countries at £1,800, but warned it could not fall behind. All industrialised countries were increasing such spending by at least 6% a year.

‘The question of what sort of health care Guernsey wants and whether this should be resourced through greater ﾓpublic investmentﾔ or higher personal contributions is a debate which cannot be avoided. It is not honest or sustainable to pretend otherwise.’

Dr Jeffs said that there was much to be proud of in the island’s health care system.

‘However, the future is not without its problems. I see the biggest single current threat to our future health to be the apparent poor understanding of the true costs of providing modern health care, which continue to be reiterated in some circles.

‘I very much regret having to return to this theme again this year, but some States members and sections of the media still appear to believe that Guernsey is somehow magically immune to the pressures being felt by every other health-care system in the Western world and that we can continue to provide comprehensive, up-to-date and safe services at less than they cost.’

He said ‘on-island’ services were generally provided well and within budget, but off-island costs were the biggest pressure.

Expenditure on off-island treatments has increased from £2.5m. 10 years ago to some £10.7m. – rising from 4.5% of Health’s budget to 13.1%.

‘Due to continuing medical specialisation and the range of care and treatments which cannot be safely delivered on island, this will undoubtedly continue to rise in the future,’ he said.

‘It makes little sense to continually cut back and reduce local health infrastructure, which has taken decades to build, because we have to pay more and more for off-island treatment, over which we have little control.’

Treasury minister Lyndon Trott said: ‘It appears to me that if health services are generally, delivered on island well within budget, then you are clearly not cutting back and reducing local health infrastructure.’