As Ministers deliver rapid improvements to the current health system, this poll will look to the future stewardship of healthcare over the next 20 years
• Up to 1,000 Islanders are expected to respond
• The poll is part of a commitment in the 2023 Government Plan to develop future options for funding Jersey’s healthcare
• Healthcare costs are rising and expected to rise further both in Jersey and around the world
As the Government takes action to make Jersey’s health system fairer and more effective, a poll launches this week on Islanders’ attitudes to future health and care funding.
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, has commissioned the poll as part of a 2023 Government Plan commitment to develop options for funding Jersey’s healthcare in the future.
Islanders will be contacted directly by Jersey-based research company 4Insight and invited to take part. The poll, which is expected to receive up to 1,000 responses, is not intended to canvas views on specific options for change but rather to understand broader attitudes – for example Islanders’ thoughts on whether Government should raise more money to spend on health and care services.
In addition, discussions will also take place with healthcare providers.
Alongside research and analysis being undertaken by specialist healthcare economists, the Health Economics Unit, the poll will inform potential options for changing the way Jersey funds health and care services in the future. These potential options will be subject to full consultation with Islanders in late 2023 or early 2024.
Deputy Wilson said: “We know that many Islanders are concerned about the costs of healthcare and, as a Government, we want to do all that we can to ensure everyone has access to good quality health and care services.
“As well as addressing today’s challenges, we are committed to stewardship of our health system in the longer term. We also know that healthcare costs will increase in Jersey, in common with the rest of the world, as the costs of treatments and drugs rise, and as more of us live longer and require more care. This means we all need to start thinking now about how we best fund healthcare in the future, and I want to start this process by hearing from Islanders. It is only by understanding the views of our community that we can develop options for change which are right for Jersey.”
The long-term review into health and care funding is among several initiatives underway to develop a fairer, more effective and better governed health system. Deputy Wilson is currently working on plans to provide free GP appointments to children and young people after the States Assembly voted in December 2022 to allocate £800,000 to subsidise visits for those under 18 as part of the 2023 budget.
In March the Minister for Social Security, Deputy Elaine Millar, announced a £12 million investment in community pharmacies over the next three to four years. This package of investment includes developing new pharmacy-based services to provide advice about medicines and minor ailments and training more technicians to support the work of registered pharmacists.
Government of Jersey