A top scrutineer has raised “serious concerns” about the “ongoing overspending” in Health after departmental expenditure rose to £333 million last year.
The latest States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts revealed a £63 million deficit across Government.
The Health Department exceeded its budget by £28 million in 2024 – and is projected to do so again in 2025.
Deputy Louise Doublet, Chair of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, has written an “urgent” letter to Health Minister Tom Binet about the overspends.
“This recurring overspend raises critical concerns about the robustness of financial planning processes, the accuracy of service demand projections, and the underlying structural viability of Jersey’s current health and care model,” she wrote.
The letter calls for a breakdown of how funding is allocated across the department, what actions have been taken to control spending, long-term financial planning, and clarification on the root causes of overspending within Health.
Deputy Doublet said: “The latest financial forecasts are of great concern, and we need reassurance that the Health Department budget is being managed and controlled properly.
“We are fully aware that the pressures on spending across Government departments – particularly in Health – are significant, and we sympathise with the Minister in this regard.
“However, spending cannot be unlimited and there have been overspends within Health for several years now.”
She added that, during a recent scrutiny hearing, the Health Minister said he may seek to secure funding from the Strategic Reserve for his department.
“The Panel will be scrutinising this to be sure that funds are being used appropriately,” said Deputy Doublet.
“It is crucial that we, and the public, understand what the main factors in these overspends are, how the Minister is working to control costs and how the budget is being future-proofed moving forward.
“Given there are major clinical and infrastructure projects being planned within Health, it is essential that finances are being managed properly.”