A MASSIVE boost to health funding will put the ailing department in a “much better place”, the minister has said – but the head of the government spending watchdog has criticised the proposals for lacking detail.
Unveiled on Tuesday, the government’s intended 2026-2029 Budget included plans for £381m of spending on healthcare next year – a rise of almost a fifth on 2024.
More than £60m – £15.6m a year until 2029 – was also earmarked to plug the department’s long-running deficit.
Under the ministerial plans, there would be a £55 charge for missing an outpatient appointment – with it being estimated that around 12,000 patients fail to attend each year –
while, people who attend the Emergency Department rather than their GP will also be charged under the new proposals. This would be at the same rate as the fees charged by Jersey Doctors on Call – £77 for Islanders and £97 for non-residents.
Health Minister Tom Binet – who had previously explained that he would be asking for a large budget increase amid warnings of “difficult decisions” to be taken – told the JEP he had to “argue quite hard” for a budget increase, and that he was “grateful” to ministerial colleagues for recognising his department’s need.
The minister added: “I think that once we went through the detail, they understood the importance of upping the level of funding for Health and, as I say, in fairness they all agreed to put it into the Budget.
“I’m just hoping that I find the same level of acceptance in the Assembly.”
Despite a Financial Recovery Plan having been put in place, the department overspent by £30.7 million in 2024, and, as of June this year, was overspending by £1 million a month.
Deputy Binet said he was confident that the additional funding being put into health would begin to address some of the financial challenges his department has faced for years.
“Given all of the background circumstances, I am pleased to see what’s ended up in the Budget.
Deputy Binet argued that the overspending in health had been down to historic underfunding rather than mismanagement of funds.
He said: “Over the last three years, there has been a huge effort made to save money. We’ve had the financial recovery plan, which has demonstrated millions of pounds worth of efficiency savings.
“And against that backdrop, I think you have to reach the conclusion that we simply weren’t putting enough money into health.”
The minister noted that this was “a problem across the globe”.
“Everybody is finding health inflation is running way ahead of standard inflation,” he added.
However, Deputy Binet said the proposed Budget would help put the Department in a “much better place”.
“We’ve got to be vigilant, we’ve got to carry on with the financial recovery programme, to keep making the savings.
“We’ve got to improve the network – and in the Assembly next time we’re discussing a partnership board,” he added, contending that this would bolster communication and decision-making processes.
“That’ll be overarched by digital connectivity, which is going to make it a lot more efficient.
“We’re using every resource that we can to increase efficiency, increase output and improve patient care, because at the end of the day, what really is important is getting it right for the patient.”
However, Deputy Inna Gardiner, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, which raised strong concerns around health spending in a report published in July, said that while health investment was “vitally important”, she remained concerned about the lack of clarity on where that money was is coming from and suggested ministers were putting off the difficult decisions.
The Budget states: “Delivering savings at the level proposed in 2027 is deliverable but will require choices to be taken in the next Budget, informed by robust analysis.”
Deputy Gardiner said: “When I look at the principles and the headlines of the Budget in terms of investment in education, health and infrastructure, these are vitally important – these are the things that government and the States Assembly needs to deliver.
“The question for me is where is the money coming from and how prudent has government been with public finances – especially around health.
“We need to have clarity on how this money will be spent and what it will deliver to the public. We don’t have a sustainable funding model, we won’t have a workforce plan before the Budget is debated and we don’t know how health will be funded going forward.
“We have seen the minister talk about services being reviewed and possibly cut, waiting lists are not being reduced – we are one of the highest spenders on health in the OECD [per capita] so what are we receiving for that money?”
