ISLANDERS who remain in hospital beds after being declared fit for discharge could be charged more than £500 for every additional day of care, under a new law that comes into force today.
The Long-Term Care Services (Health and Social Services Charges) (Jersey) Amendment Order 2026, signed on Friday 27 March and effective from Monday 30 March, gives the Health Minister the power to bill patients who stay in hospital after being cleared for discharge.
Under the new rules, charges can be applied where three conditions are met: a medical professional has confirmed the patient is fit for discharge; the patient has been assessed as requiring long-term care; and suitable alternative accommodation has already been arranged.
If all three criteria are satisfied, patients can be charged a fixed rate of £502 for every complete 24-hour period they remain in hospital. The changes have been introduced by ministerial order, meaning the law has been enacted directly by Health Minister Tom Binet, without a vote of the States Assembly.
The move comes amid a broader shift towards charging those deemed able to contribute more towards their care.
The controversial plans, first revealed by the Jersey Evening Post last month, could also see higher-income Islanders required to pay part or all of their travel and accommodation costs when receiving treatment in the UK. Ministers have argued the reforms are necessary, warning that rising demand and costs mean “finite public funding” must be “directed to the Islanders who need care”.
However, the proposals have already sparked political concern after it emerged during a States sitting that no full cost-benefit analysis or assessment of the wider impact on Islanders had been carried out.
Deputy Binet had previously said that charging higher-income Islanders for UK-treatment-related travel and accommodation could save around £265,000 a year.
He also stated that there was “no set timeline” for introducing the new health charges.
