- Reform Jersey say that a study carried out by Jersey’s Consumer Council was flawed
- The study found that most Islanders did not want GP visits to be free
- Jersey’s only political party say that the study was not large enough
- Do you think GP visits should be free? Take our poll below
JERSEY’S only political party has criticised a consumer group study which claims that Islanders do not want doctors appointments to be free.
Members of Reform Jersey say they will continue to campaign for free GP visits despite the findings from the Jersey Consumer Council forums on the cost and availability of doctors and dentists.
- Islanders do not want doctors appointments to be free for all, but favour means-tested prices for young children, the chronically ill and the elderly
- They also believe doctors and dentists are too expensive and not always good value for money, and that there is a lack of price lists in doctors surgeries.
- Respondents also said there was a lack of privacy for patients arriving at the Accident and Emergency Department at the Hospital.
- They also expressed utter sadness, fear and frustration over the perceived lack of mental health care provision for teenagers, said the Consumer Council
The council last year organised eight focus groups on primary health care involving a total of 54 Islanders.
A key message which came out of the study was that respondents did not want free doctor’s appointments as they believed the system would become ‘clogged and abused’.
Instead, they favoured means-tested prices for young children, the chronically ill and the elderly.
Some of the respondents also said that doctors and dentists were too expensive and not always good value for money, and that there is a lack of price lists in doctor’s surgeries.
Many participants also felt that some Islanders were going to the Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department unnecessarily, and some respondents felt that people need to take greater responsibility for their own health.
The council will soon publish its Primary Health Care Matters report which has been based on the key themes which arose from the focus groups.
Deputy Sam Mézec, Reform Jersey party leader, said the low number of Islanders who took part meant the survey did not provide an indication of Island-wide opinion from all social groups.
‘The numbers alone give me cause to believe the findings are unrepresentative,’ he said.
‘We also were not given the questions those people were asked so we could examine if they were leading questions or if the full picture was given.
‘The council was right to identify that we would not want to promote people abusing the system.
‘However the current system ends up forcing people to put off addressing their illnesses at an early stage, when it is cheaper to treat, because of worrying about paying to see a doctor.
‘These people often end up using the Accident and Emergency Department instead, where it ultimately costs the taxpayer much more to see them than if they had been to see a GP in the first place.’
Deputy Montfort Tadier, a Reform Jersey member, added: ‘We welcome the progress that has been made with some surgeries now voluntarily offering free visits to certain age groups, but ultimately we want to see appointments free for all Islanders, funded by raising the social security cap on high earners.’
ISLANDERS want a fair health system which is accessible to all.
The results of a survey conducted by the Consumer Council show that a majority of those who responded thought that a visit to the doctor was too expensive, but did not want GP appointments to be free.
You only have to look at the mess that the NHS is in in the UK to see why free primary health care is as much a curse as a blessing.
In England, GPs’ surgeries are clogged up by people who do not need to seek expensive medical help, especially for common colds and flu. There are, however, aspects of the UK system which, if introduced in Jersey, would make our primary care more efficient and less expensive for patients.
Across the Channel, for example, surgery-based nurses are responsible for consultations and procedures which are still done by doctors in Jersey – not least because doctors get taxpayers’ money from Social Security for things like blood tests, whereas nurses would not.
Those at the top of the Health Department understand the need to reform health services in the Island to get a better deal for patients and taxpayers – and to ensure that the Island can cope with an ageing population.
As part of that work they must ensure that GP services are working in the interests of the community and not simply for the benefit of the practice partners.
The market is already playing an important part in driving down the cost of a visit to the doctor, with some surgeries offering free care for children. Competition is good for price and quality.
If the Consumer Council’s findings are representative of the views of the vast majority – and it seems entirely reasonable that they are – it is gratifying to know that Health Minister Andrew Green and his team at Peter Crill House are pushing in the same direction.
Health chiefs have to bring together third-sector organisations, businesses and their own people to create a health service fit for many years to come.
Co-operation and understanding for the long-term good of the community are now essential.
