Reciprocal UK health agreement ended as ‘bad value for taxpayer’
Tuesday 10th February 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
A RECIPROCAL health agreement between the Channel Islands and the UK is being dissolved because it was considered bad value for UK taxpayers, it was revealed yesterday.
‘Department of Health officials have indicated that it was felt that the agreement did not constitute value for money’, said a Health and Social Services Department spokesman.
The agreement will end on Tuesday 31 March, following which Bailiwick residents who fall ill while in the UK will usually have to pay for healthcare.
This has sparked irritation with one of Jersey’s politicians. Senator Jim Perchard (pictured) said greater consultation would have been in order.
‘It saddens me that there has been no face-to face co-operation and communication and the dialogue has been by email,’ he said.
‘Given the importance of this matter, I would have thought that at the very least there should be face-to-face consultations in order that an amicable agreement can be reached.’
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Well done Senator Jim Perchard of Jersey for standing up for Channel Island interests.
He is totally right. You cannot have an end to an important reciprical health agreement without face to face sensible discissions.
I hope Guernsey and Jersey politicians will insist on proper dialogue and it seems that our Health and Social Services Department should be leading the way and showing they care.
We did not help ourselves when we stopped UK residents having free care when in Guernsey and that retrograde step caused us more damage than the small savings it made.
There needs to be a public debate on this issue and if saving the agreement means we have to contribute a little bit more to the UK authorities, then at least let our States have the figures so that they can decide, rahter than HSSD.
This is not something which should be decided behind closed doors and information being witheld. I hope the Guernsey Press will do some digging and give the public the full picture.
Tony Webber
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I was very disappointed when i heard about this on the local news.
The wording was something along the lines of “cover will stop for guernsey and alderney residents at the end of march but Jersey are still is discussions with the uk”.
This sounds to me like Jersey has stood up, argues and tried to get a new deal sorted whilst the guernsey states has given in straight away with no concern for locals.
Good on Jersey for taking a stand.
It sometimes seems to me that the people in charge of Guernsey have little or no concern for residents. I’m sure they all have health and travel insurance and will have made sure they’re covered. Obviously no concern for the people who don’t or can’t afford it.
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Not sure i understand the problems as if we will be covered for emergency care what else would we want whilst on holiday? I do have annual travel insurance anyway but will have to check whether this includes health care.
I am disappointed in our Guernsey politicians though who appear to be so apathetic.
The other thing of course is will this affect our tourism? I have visitors coming over in August and advised them of the need for extra insurance as they have a child who suffers from epilepsy which sometimes requires emergency treatment and they said that their travel agent hadn’t heard anything about it. I telephoned the hospital to check if emergency treatment would be given to UK visitors free of charge and was informed that it had been decided by Guernsey that they would not. They will be treated as if they come from e.g. America or Europe and have to pay both for the doctor (which visitors pay for already the same as we do) but they would also pay another charge for the use of the hospital. If the UK government get wind of this they will surely start charging Guernsey people for emergency care?
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