It will also include free blood and urine tests, referral letters, ECGs, swabs, spirometry, ear syringing and pregnancy tests for young islanders.

Home visits and consultations at the out of hours service are not included in the scheme, which is funded through the Health Insurance Fund.

Deputy Elaine Millar said that the scheme had been a "difficult thing to achieve" but hoped that it would "make a huge difference" to local children and their families.

The Social Security Minister also reassured islanders that there were no concerns about the new scheme overwhelming local practices, confirming that there are "enough doctors" to deal with any "uplift".

Pictured: Deputy Millar estimated that the scheme would provide free GP appointments to 14,500 local children.

Deputy Millar said: "The Health Access Scheme has provided free surgery visits for children from low income families for over two years.

"I am now pleased to introduce this new scheme for children, which reduces costs for all families and young people – making it free for all children to see a health practitioner at their general practice.

"This is the latest in a series of schemes which have been introduced to make primary care services more accessible and invest in the health and well-being of islanders."

"Claiming the credit"?

Following yesterday's announcement about the scheme, Reform Jersey raised concerns that the Chief Minister and her Council of Ministers "appear to be claiming the credit for introducing policies that were fought for and brought forward" by the party.

It was Reform's Deputy Carina Alves who initially proposed an amendment to the Government Plan secure £800,000 in funding to make visits to the family doctor free-of-charge for all under 18s at the end of last year.

Reform Jersey is disappointed that the Better Way Conservative Coalition Government has wastefully used public funds to mislead islanders. Here is our statement. pic.twitter.com/OGzGdAww4R

— Reform Jersey (@ReformJersey) July 24, 2023

The States Assembly narrowly voted by 24 votes to 23 to support the proposition. The only members of the Council of Ministers who voted in support of the proposition were Children and Education Minister Deputy Inna Gardiner and Assistant Chief Minister Constable Andy Jehan.

Minister for External Relations Deputy Philip Ozouf abstained from the vote but confirmed in the Assembly that this was an accident and he meant to vote against Deputy Alves' proposition.

What was said during the debate?

Introducing her proposition, Deputy Alves explained that "childhood is arguably the most vulnerable period of human life".

"Children are highly dependent on others to have their basic needs met and this makes them particularly vulnerable, especially when there is a cost to fulfilling those needs," she added.

"Children do not have their own autonomous access to income, regardless of their family’s economic background.  All children deserve this and all children are vulnerable."

Deputy Alves described hearing of "numerous children and young people that needed to go to the GP but would not or were reluctant to – not because their families could not afford it but because they did not want their families to find out, either through embarrassment or worry or shame, especially if they were suffering with mental health or sexual health issues".

Minister for Social Security Deputy Elaine Millar spoke out in the debate to "urge members to reject this amendment", describing it as "premature" and "unfunded".

Pictured: Deputy Carina Alves initially proposed the amendment to the Government Plan to fund free GP visits for all under 18s.

Deputy Millar also criticised the fact that the free GP visits for children would "support those on higher incomes", raising concerns that "we will find ourselves with taxpayers and contributors paying for very wealthy people to take their children to the GP whenever they want".

Reform Jersey leader Deputy Sam Mézec responded: "It is important that children have the right to access healthcare in their own right, not because of what family they are from, and the reason for that – and I am sure there are Members in here who remember what it was like to be a teenager – but when you are going through particular issues in some of those years the last people you want to talk to about it are your parents. 

"So if you have to go begging to your parents for money so you can go to see a GP some young people will find that embarrassing and off-putting and so they will not do it. The point of this is to make it independent for [children and young people]."

Once again, the barefaced cheek of the government comms unit putting out this stuff saying the Minister is “delighted” to do something she voted against.

Where is the quote from @DeputyAlves who actually fought hard for and won this, in the face of government opposition? https://t.co/7j2O5VOf0A

— Deputy Sam Mézec (@SamMezecJsy) July 24, 2023

Chief Minister Deputy Kristina Moore described Deputy Alves' proposition as "well-intentioned", but said that the monetary "figure is not quite right" and called for more time to "do the planning".

Deputy Moore agreed that "there is a need to build this element of healthcare and access to GPs for children into a proper, sustainable funding mechanism" but asked the Assembly "to please bear with us to see that we have the additional months that we need to properly deliver a sustainable funding mechanism".

Health Minister Deputy Karen Wilson also agreed that "appointments should be easy to access", but proposed to reject the amendment on the basis of "an element of caution" about "increasing demand" overwhelming GP surgeries.

The full transcript of the debate can be read online here.