States Assembly agrees to lowering the cost of primary healthcare for children

This aspect of the amended Common Strategic Policy was initiated as a consequence of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel’s amendment, which drew attention to the existence of health inequalities among children and young people living in Jersey and called for free primary healthcare. The Council of Ministers responded to the Panel’s amendment by lodging a further amendment which proposed working towards providing ‘free or lower cost’ primary healthcare, and sets Government with the goal of identifying and implementing a sustainable model for healthcare funding and financing by 2025. 

Deputy Catherine Curtis, Chair of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel commented: “It is vital to the Panel that children and young people should not be prevented from accessing primary healthcare services due to cost. We are delighted to see that our amendment has prompted a constructive response by Government and that the States Assembly supports the principle of reducing barriers to primary care for Jersey’s children. The Panel looks forward to seeing how this change will be taken forward by the Council of Ministers by 2025 and will monitor progress with great interest”.