Wealthy paying UK health costs 'may save £250k'

Charging wealthy islanders for their travel to the UK to receive healthcare treatment could save £250,000 a year, the government has said.

The health minister was responding to a written question about the proposal, under which some people would be asked to pay for their flights and accommodation.

Currently, public patients who are referred off-island have their fees paid for by the government.

Health Minister Tom Binet said the "total anticipated savings" were about £250,000 a year, and that the calculations had been made based off data from Statistics Jersey. Officials said Binet had "yet to finally decide whether to implement the proposed policy and if so, the associated timeframe".

"Adult patients from households with income above £210,400 would not be eligible for funded travel or accommodation.

"This threshold aligns with the income limit used in Student Finance," he said.

The proposals were revealed last month in the Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) Advisory Board papers.

In them, the department said: "Healthcare costs are rising and HCJ must ensure that finite public funding is used fairly and directed to the Islanders who need care.

"Two draft policies and a law drafting instruction have been developed to help ensure resources are used responsibly."

Just over 2,500 Jersey residents were referred to UK hospitals for treatment in 2025.

Health officials said the new policy "re-introduces the pre-2017 policy of eligibility testing based on household income".

They also said they expected charges would apply to about 30% of households.

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