Jersey’s plans to make the wealthiest residents pay for healthcare access in the UK have been shelved, the island’s health minister confirmed, citing “the amount of angst” the proposals had caused.
At present, all public patients who are referred off-island have their fees covered by the government. However, in February, it came to light that draft policies had been prepared under which the highest-earning households would be required to contribute partially or fully to their travel and accommodation expenses when seeking specialist care in the UK.
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Last month, deputy Tom Binet suggested that implementing such measures could save taxpayers more than £250,000 annually. Despite this, he later clarified that ministers “are not going to take any further action” on the proposals.
Government figures show that in 2025, 2,501 Jersey patients traveled to the UK to receive specialist treatment unavailable on the island. Under the draft policies, adult patients from households earning above £210,400 would have been expected to contribute to their costs, highlighting the potential financial impact on the highest earners.
Health officials said that this would reintroduce “the pre-2017 policy of eligibility testing based on household income”.
The minister was subsequently asked in the States Assembly whether he intended to sign any orders before Jersey’s general election on 7 June to bring the proposed measures into effect.
“We have considered the medical travel issue and, given the amount of angst that it has caused and the relatively small amount of money, we are not going to take any further action,” Binet said.
“It will remain open for review for whoever the next Minister for Health and Social Services is, but we are not taking action on that.”
The Jersey government has implemented new charges of over £500 per day for patients who remain in hospital after being medically cleared for discharge.
Starting 13 April, visitors to the island will no longer be entitled to free emergency hospital care unless their home country has a reciprocal health agreement with Jersey.
However, from the same date, staff employed locally under work permits will continue to receive free ongoing care after any emergency treatment in a hospital.
This year, Jersey’s health department has a budget of £381 million, representing an increase of nearly £60 million compared with the 2025 budget.
