UK reciprocal health agreement to end
Saturday 20th September 2008, 9:28AM BST.
THE UK Government has informed Guernsey that it intends to withdraw from the reciprocal health agreement, HSSD has confirmed.
The arrangement, which has been in place for many years, meant islanders could receive free treatment on the NHS if they became ill or had an accident while in the UK.
It also worked the other way, with UK residents receiving free treatment while in Guernsey.
But while islanders will no longer receive free treatment for non-emergency cases, all emergency treatment will remain free.
Guernsey students will also continue to benefit from free access to all parts of the NHS and will not be affected by the decision. The end of the agreement will also have no effect on patients referred to the UK by a local consultant under existing protocols – that practice is already funded by Guernsey.
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I understand that emergency treatment is not affected by the UK decision to withdraw from the reciprocal health treatment agreement with Guernsey. Based upon recent poor experience of the UK NHS by members of my wider family, and others known to me, I would certainly not opt to use the UK NHS for non-emergency treatment anyway.
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The article is incorrect in stating that UK residents receive free treatment while in Guernsey for services that islanders receive free on the NHS whilst in the UK
Services that incur a charge for UK visitors in Guernsey but are free in the UK are :-
Visiting a GP at their surgery.
GP at A&E.
Physiotherapy requested by the GP.
Ambulance journeys.
There may be more, but the advice to visitors when travelling to the Bailiwick of Guernsey by the States of Guernsey Health and Social Services Dept is to take out a full travel insurance to cover the cost of any medical treatment and repatriation costs.
I think this is good advice regardless of whether there is a reciprocal health agreement with the country that you plan to visit.
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But while islanders will no longer receive free The article is indeed incorrect. The Jersey government statement (type Jersey Reciprocal Health Agreement into Google) says that Jersey and Guernsey islanders will no longer receive free emergency treatment.
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