The Health Minister had formally lodged plans to overhaul to the way Jersey’s health services are governed and overseen – with the help of another new board costing £70,000-a-year to run.
But the creation of a new Health and Care Jersey Partnership Board, which will sit alongside the existing Health and Community Services Advisory Board, won’t require a fresh cash injection to be set up.
According to Deputy Tom Binet’s proposals, which will have to be approved by the States Assembly first, it will be paid for using funds already set aside for health governance.
Together, both boards will work to make sure health services are safe, well-managed, and better joined up, he said.
Continuing the existing HCS Advisory Board…
The existing Health Advisory Board began operating in January 2024 for an 18-month trial period.
Following a performance review which found the Board to be “exceptionally effective” in fostering oversight and collaborative culture, the Health Minister is seeking States Assembly permission for its ongoing operation.
The performance review highlighted a few areas for development, such as enhanced public communication and clearer meeting outputs.
In 2023, the cost of the Health Advisory Board was £367,031 – of which £287,783 related to renumeration and expenses of Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor, who authored the £85,000 critical health review that led to the board’s creation – as fixed-term chair.
Since then, annual running costs of the Advisory Board are less than the anticipated £206,000 per year – with actual spending in 2024 at £117,915, and 2025 projections at £167,672.
The cost savings have stemmed from shared leadership responsibilities among non-executive directors, avoiding the need to hire a separate chair.
In 2026, the Health Advisory Board’s anticipated spend is approximately £125,000 as the number of board meetings will reduce from six to four per year.
Creating a new Health and Care Jersey Partnership Board…
The second half of the Health Minister’s proposal is the creation of a Health and Care Jersey Partnership Board.
This will be another non-statutory body that aims to bring together government and non-government service providers – including GPs, care homes, and third-sector organisations.
The proposed Jersey Partnership Board shares some similarities with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in the UK in the way that both aim to bring together health and care providers.
However, ICBs are statutory legal bodies set out under the Health and Care Act 2022, have legal powers to plan and fund health services directly, and control public funds.
In Jersey, the proposed Partnership Board will focus on system-wide planning and coordination of care, tackling challenges such as service integration, prevention, and affordability.
The Partnership Board will not have legal authority over health services, but it will make recommendations to the Health Minister – who retains ultimate decision-making powers.
Community partners sitting on the board will be remunerated £200 per day for up to 14 days’ work annually, and the independent chair will receive £420 per day.
Therefore, total projected running costs are £69,760 from 2026, with an estimated £32,253 for the part-year in 2025.
Statuary or non-statutory?
Deputy Binet has decided against proposing immediate legislation to place both boards on a statutory footing.
He suggested that if legislation is brought forward in future, it should cover both the existing Advisory Board and the proposed Partnership Board, once their value and roles are clearer.
This approach allows both boards to operate in a more flexible form for now, he added.
Deputy Binet believes further evaluation is needed before placing the boards in law, citing flexibility and cost-efficiency as key advantages of the current non-statutory model.