Health miss key reform deadline

Tuesday 10 February 2015

The Health department has missed a deadline set by the States to publish long-awaited plans for reform of the health service and a new way of funding it by the end of 2014.

They say that while some progress has been made on reducing waiting times and offering better choices, they have fallen behind the deadline set by the States in 2012 to sort the issues out by the end of 2014.

Health now say that the new system for GPs, dentists and optometrists will go out to consultation with the public this year, while the question of how the booming cost of healthcare will be paid for is to be dealt with by ministers before the summer.

The Health department’s budget is set to top £197 million this year – or around £3.8 million every week – and the question of how to find the money to run it is a key one for ministers.

Politicians including Chief Minister Ian Gorst have been talking about a “sustainable funding mechanism” for health services – he is thought to be softening the way for a ring-fenced health charge, possibly linked to Social Security payments.

A statement from the Health department – released two months after Bailiwick Express submitted questions about the deadlines – said: “This is an ambitious and complex programme, and it has been imperative that people have been heavily involved in designing and delivering the new services and in devising the future strategies.

“It is also critical that we get this right, so it is better to take more time to fully consider the options and to ensure people are able to have their say, rather than rushing into what might be the wrong decision, or a direction of travel that key groups disagree with.”

The department has missed the December 2014 deadline to submit detailed plans for a new hospital, a new model for Primary Care and a funding mechanism.

But they have pointed out that the first phase of the health reforms have been implemented, including 18 services such as better integrated services, better support for keeping people in their own homes, talking therapies and community midwifery.