Healthcare

The prolonged debate over Jersey’s new hospital has wasted millions of pounds and delayed the provision of essential health facilities. The cost of decisions that were delayed, reversed or abandoned amounts to about £2,000 for each Islander. The timeline speaks for itself. In 2012, the States Assembly decided that the existing hospital was “not fit‑for‑purpose” and instructed the Council of Ministers to bring forward detailed plans by the end of 2014. In 2016, the decision was taken to redevelop the current hospital site; in 2017, that plan was abandoned. In 2020, Overdale was chosen; in 2022, the new Assembly abandoned that proposal; and in May 2023, the decision was made to pursue a multi‑site option.

This sequence of events is an indictment of Jersey’s political system. It has resulted in huge abortive costs and has delayed the delivery of adequate health facilities. What has happened cannot be undone. The focus now should be on ensuring that the projects currently underway are completed efficiently, on time and within budget.

Jersey’s healthcare system faces pressures similar to those in the UK and other jurisdictions: an ageing population, the long‑term effects of the pandemic and rising demand. But Jersey also faces specific challenges as a small island, including long‑standing structural and cultural issues. These were highlighted in the 2022 review of Health and Community Services by Professor Hugo Mascie‑Taylor, who wrote:

“[Jersey] is an affluent island and all the people and patients of Jersey, irrespective of their individual financial circumstances, need and deserve high quality, safe healthcare… Sadly, it is not possible to conclude that this is the current situation.”

Progress has been made in addressing the issues identified in this and subsequent reports, but much remains to be done.

Like many other communities, Jersey must make a decisive shift from treatment to prevention. The Director of Public Health’s 2024 report, The Case for Prevention, sets out the argument clearly. It calls for a shift in priorities – from reacting to ill health to proactively creating the conditions that support good health for all Islanders. The report notes that:

• Although treating illness consumes more than £9 out of every £10 spent on health, healthcare services account for only about 30% of overall health outcomes.

• The building blocks of good health include money and resources, good housing, work, education and skills, access to nutritious food, transport, the quality of our surroundings and strong communities.

• Prevention aims to create conditions that make healthy choices easier, support those who want to improve their health and provide evidence‑based interventions such as vaccination and screening.

• Preventing illness is cheaper than treating it.

The case for prevention is irrefutable, but progress has been slow. I am committed to accelerating this shift and embedding prevention at the heart of policy across government.