The Health Minister has revealed that he will not be pursuing plans to charge some islanders for off-island medical travel and accommodation – due to the “amount of angst it has caused” compared to the “relatively small amount of money” that would be saved.

In the States Assembly this morning, Deputy Tom Binet confirmed he will not continue with the controversial proposals to reintroduce income testing for patients referred to the UK for treatment at this time.

He said: “We’ve considered the medical travel issue and, given the amount of angst that it’s caused, and the relatively small amount of money [that would be saved], we’re not going to take any further action on that.”

The minister previously revealed that the proposals were expected to save around £265,000 a year.

“Open for review” by another Minister

Deputy Binet added that the medical travel charging policy would instead be left “open for review” by a future Health Minister after the next election.

Under the now shelved plans, the richest 30% of households would have been required to contribute towards – or fully pay for – travel and accommodation costs when referred to the UK for treatment.

Health officials had warned that rising demand and costs mean “finite public funding” must be “directed to the islanders who need care”, but the proposals faced criticism for the lack of detailed cost-benefit analysis and fears about the financial burden on families.

“It’s actually a charge for accommodation and food”

Despite backing off on travel charges, the Health Minister today defended the introduction of £500-a-day charges for patients who remain in hospital after being deemed fit for discharge.

Deputy Binet signed an order last week giving him the power to bill patients who stay in hospital after being cleared for discharge from today.

“It’s not a charge for healthcare,” he told the States Assembly. “It’s actually a charge for accommodation and food.”

He argued that hospital beds are being unnecessarily occupied, revealing that 1,000 bed nights were lost last year due to patients not taking up alternative care arrangements.

Deputy Binet made no apology for introducing the policy by ministerial order, without a vote of the States Assembly, stating: “The reason I introduced it by order is because I can.

“I didn’t think that, for something as sensible as this, it was worth wasting a huge amount of everybody else’s time.

“The Assembly gives me the powers to make these orders, and I thought it was highly appropriate.”

Visitor healthcare changes

Deputy Binet signalled that other reforms are coming, warning that “a more and more complex service requires more and more money”.

In a press release sent out shortly after the States Assembly adjourned for lunch today, the Health Minister confirmed two more changes will come into force on 13 April 2026.

Visitors to Jersey will no longer receive free emergency hospital care unless a reciprocal health agreement is in place, ensuring that Jersey residents also receive free emergency care when visiting those jurisdictions.

This will not affect visitors from the UK, France and Portugal, amongst others, as reciprocal health agreements are already in place.

Workers, who are engaged by local employers on a work permit, who need ongoing care following emergency treatment in the hospital’s emergency department, will now receive that ongoing care for free.

“Healthcare costs continue to rise faster than inflation”

Deputy Binet said: “As healthcare costs continue to rise faster than inflation, we must ensure that we make best use of the fixed resources we have, as well as treating people fairly.

“This includes recognising that work permit holders are actively contributing to the island’s economy for all our benefits, whilst making it clear that visitors from countries without a reciprocal health agreement should have travel insurance.

“Our current policy of providing free emergency care to all visitors means that, even when they have travel insurance, they can’t claim on that insurance for the emergency care provided because our policy is it’s free – so it is funded by the public instead of travel insurers.

“In making these changes, we won’t leave people at risk. Our first course of action will always be to provide the emergency care people need. A ‘provide and then charge’ approach, not ‘charge and then provide’.”