THE Health Minister has robustly defended his decision to impose a £502 daily charge for those who remain in hospital when they are fit for discharge and have appropriate care arrangements in place.
Deputy Tom Binet signed a ministerial order on Friday for the new charge, which came into force yesterday and was immediately challenged about the decision through an urgent oral question in the States Assembly.
The questioner, Deputy Inna Gardiner, asked why the move had been made without prior warning to the Assembly or the public, but the minister refuted the idea that he had done anything wrong.
“This matter has been in the public domain for a number of months and was on the agenda for, and approved by, the recent meeting of the Health Advisory Board,” he said. “I must stress that it’s not a charge for healthcare, it’s a charge for accommodation and food for those who are fit to be discharged and have a care package.
“In 2025 we lost 1,000 bed-nights as a result of people who chose not to move – if anyone thinks it’s more important for someone to stay in hospital, sometimes for up to a month, when there are people at home in pain waiting for an operation then they have a different view to mine.”
Deputy Binet said that his personal view was that the five-day grace period before the charge became payable was generous, adding that he had made the decision by order because he had been given the necessary power by the Assembly and the pressures on the Health Department’s budget were well known.
Waiting to be discharged to a care home of the patient’s choice when alternative care arrangements had been deemed appropriate was not an acceptable justification for bed-blocking, he said.
The minister disagreed with a suggestion by Deputy Gardiner that patients were being “penalised for system failures”.
It was also confirmed yesterday that there would be changes to existing rules on access to free healthcare with effect from 13 April.
Visitors to Jersey will no longer receive free emergency hospital care unless a reciprocal health agreement is in place, Deputy Binet said, ensuring that Islanders would also receive the same care when visiting those jurisdictions. The UK, France and Portugal are among the countries with reciprocal health agreements are already in place.
In addition, workers engaged by local employers on a work permit, who need ongoing care following emergency treatment in the hospital’s emergency department, will now receive such care for free.
Deputy Binet said: “We must ensure that we make best use of the fixed resources we have, as well as treating people fairly – this includes recognising that work permit holders are actively contributing to the Island’s economy for all our benefits, whilst making it clear that visitors from countries without a reciprocal health agreement should have travel insurance.
“Our current policy of providing free emergency care to all visitors means that, even when they have travel insurance, they can’t claim on that insurance for the emergency care provided because our policy is it’s free – so it is funded by the public instead of travel insurers.”
