A bid to spend an extra £364,000 on Alderney’s air links has been rejected by the States, despite a warning that unreliable flights are affecting patients travelling for medical treatment.
Alderney Representative Edward Hill told the Assembly he had breakfast with a woman earlier in the day who had travelled to Guernsey for cancer treatment.
Her oncologist had told her they were becoming reluctant to offer certain types of chemotherapy because they could not guarantee patients would be able to travel at the right times, he said.
Mr Hill urged members to back the extra funding, saying it was needed to help plan ahead, secure crews and build a more reliable service.
Deputy George Oswald, Health and Social Care President, said he was concerned by Mr Hill’s account and would make “inquiries” into the delayed cancer treatment before reporting back to him.
However, Deputy Oswald voted against giving Alderney any extra money.
The amendment would have increased the annual funding for Alderney’s air services from £1.5m to £1.864m, with the extra money intended to help improve the reliability of flights.
But the States voted against it by 23 votes to 10. Four members abstained, one did not vote and two were absent.
The existing £1.5m funding will therefore remain in place, with no extra money approved.
