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Plans for wealthy to pay for UK health care axed

BBC Tom Binet, a man with short white hair, is wearing a white shirt and no tie. He is standing in front of medical equipment, in a room which appears to be in a hospital. He is staring directly at the camera.BBC
Last month, deputy Tom Binet said the proposals could save taxpayers more than £250,000 a year

Plans for the wealthiest islanders to pay to access healthcare in the UK are no longer being considered due to "the amount of angst" the proposals caused, Jersey's health minister has said.

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

But it emerged in February that draft policies had been drawn up, under which the highest-income households would need to fund part or all of their travel or accommodation costs.

Last month, deputy Tom Binet suggested the proposals could save taxpayers more than £250,000 a year, but he has now said ministers are "not going to take any further action".

According to the government, 2,501 Jersey patients were sent to the UK in 2025 to access specialist care not available on the island.

Binet said last month that if the draft policies were introduced, adult patients from households with an income above £210,400 would be asked to contribute towards their costs.

Health officials said that this would reintroduce "the pre-2017 policy of eligibility testing based on household income".

The minister was subsequently asked in the States Assembly whether he intended to sign any orders before Jersey's general election on 7 June to bring the proposed measures into effect.

"We have considered the medical travel issue and, given the amount of angst that it has caused and the relatively small amount of money, we are not going to take any further action," Binet said.

"It will remain open for review for whoever the next Minister for Health and Social Services is, but we are not taking action on that."

Connecting Jersey to additional health services in the UK

The government has introduced charges of more than £500 a day for patients who remain in hospital in Jersey after being declared fit for discharge.

And from 13 April, visitors to Jersey will no longer receive free emergency hospital care unless a reciprocal health agreement is in place in their country of origin.

But from the same date, staff engaged by local employers on work permits will be able to have free ongoing care following emergency treatment in a hospital.

Jersey's health department has a budget of £381m this year - nearly a £60m increase from the 2025 budget.

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