Longer waits for ops

Thursday 10th December 2009, 2:30PM GMT.

PATIENTS will have to wait longer for operations and other treatment, Health minister Hunter Adam warned yesterday.

His department’s spending was the focus of much of the Budget debate in the States.

HSSD is expected to go over budget by £1m. with on-island spending, and £3.2m. on off-island this year.

In 2010, it will have a total of £101m. to spend.

Deputy Adam said that was £3m. short already.

‘We know we have a problem.’

Guernsey was not alone in experiencing a constant upward pressure in health care costs, he said. It ran ahead of RPI in all developed countries.

Deputy Adam (pictured) said costs would continue to rise.

Pay was an area that must be tackled, he said. That included spending on agency staff, locums and overtime.

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