THE Health Department generated almost £3.9 million from private patients during the first half of this year – putting income on course to reach its highest level since at least 2021.

New figures show that private-patient income totalled £3,878,756 between January and June.

If income continued at the same rate during the second half of 2026, the annual total would reach around £7.76 million – surpassing the £7.08m recorded last year.

But Health’s Private Patients Services Strategy 2024–2028 – published in May 2024 at a cost of £83,384 – set an ambition to increase private-patient revenues to £18.8m by the end of 2026 and £24m by 2028.

The strategy said expanding the service would generate income for the benefit of all Islanders, reduce pressure on taxpayers and help fund state healthcare.

It also argued that private treatment could reduce demand for publicly funded care, cut waiting lists and improve access times.

The latest figures, released in response to a freedom-of-information request, include income from both planned procedures and emergency treatment, as Health said the two could not be “readily distinguished”.

However, elective cases accounted for 97.2% of private admissions during the first six months of this year, while emergency cases made up the remaining 2.8%.

The data, released following a Freedom of Information request, covers private admissions at the General Hospital, Overdale and St Ewolds.

Private-patient income stood at just over £6 million in 2021 before falling for two consecutive years, to £5.62 million in 2022 and £5.37 million in 2023.

It then rose to £5.79 million in 2024 before increasing by more than £1.28 million to £7.08 million last year.

Under the Private Patients Services Strategy, the department intended to expand private services in three phases, including improving administration and income collection, identifying insured patients whose care was being funded by the public and attempting to bring back patients travelling off-Island for private treatment.

It estimated that identifying insured patients receiving state-funded care represented a potential £5.3 million a year, while bringing privately funded treatment back to Jersey could be worth another £12.8 million.

Meanwhile, separate figures show that 5,295 patients were added to waiting lists for non-emergency operations at the General Hospital during the first half of 2026.

Of those, 4,145 – or 78% – were recorded as public patients when they joined the list. A further 1,150, representing 22%, were classified as private.

The proportion of waiting-list additions recorded as private has fallen overall since 2021 and 2022, when it stood at 26%.

However, it has edged upwards more recently, from 20% in 2024 to 21% last year and 22% during the first half of 2026.

The overall number of patients joining elective waiting lists has also risen substantially in recent years.

A total of 7,669 patients were added in 2021, compared with 11,002 last year – an increase of more than 43%.

Of those added during 2025, 8,692 were public patients and 2,310 were private.