REDUCING common long-term health conditions could save the Health Department up to £90 million in additional costs, it has emerged.
Health Minister Tom Binet has said he is seeking a major investment in public health prevention measures next year.
The investment would be taken from additional funding which the minister said was being set aside to “regenerate” the Island. Deputy Binet added that he needed “a large chunk of money” from a “bigger reinvestment programme” to try to head off some of the burgeoning costs Health faces caring for Jersey’s ageing population.
The minister was speaking after a presentation to the Health Advisory Board by Public Health director Professor Peter Bradley.
Prof Bradley told board members that a 1% reduction in common long-term health conditions – achievable within one or two years – would avoid around £5m of additional healthcare costs.
Meanwhile, a 20% reduction – achievable over a ten-year period – would prevent up to £90m in additional costs.
Deputy Binet acknowledged that he still faced challenges balancing this year’s HCS budget – which in recent months has consistently shown a shortfall of around £24m – in the face of escalating costs. He is asking for funding to make up the shortfall this year and a similar sum for 2025.
While the department remains on track to deliver savings of £5m this year to offset the impact of some of those costs, head of strategic finance Obi Hassan warned about increasing pressures on the budget, which he said threatened to increase the deficit. They include tertiary care contracts with hospitals in the UK which have risen by as much as 50% in some cases as the NHS struggles to generate revenues.
Stressing the limited potential to identify additional savings without compromising on services, Health chief officer Chris Bown told the Board that the department was “back to the basics of making sure we switch off the lights and the computers”.
Asked about Prof Bradley’s presentation, Deputy Binet admitted that there was no opportunity within existing budgets to increase investment in preventative measures – including more emphasis on screening, monitoring and vaccination – or on promoting healthier lifestyle changes.
But he said he hoped that additional funding might be available next year, which could also address another topic raised at the Health Advisory Board – the lack of integrated care records to allow patient information to be accessible across the heath system.
“If we are not fully digitised, people don’t talk to each other, and if they don’t talk to each other, the information doesn’t transfer and you get worse outcomes. We need full digitisation and full connectivity. To that end, I’m forming a new digital health board with recognised players at the table to identify where we are,” Deputy Binet said.
