Minister considers charges for misusing A&E and missing appointments

Thursday, 20 March 2025 at 07:00

Fines could be introduced for people who go to A&E instead of their GP.

The Health Minister has revealed he is considering new charges to deter the misuse of the Emergency Department.

Deputy Tom Binet says 28,000 patients went there last year with minor illnesses. That was half of all cases.

The Minister believes a penalty could be levied on people who attend the hospital for non-urgent care.

He is also thinking about a fee for patients who miss appointments without telling the hospital in advance.

The Deputy says 10% of appointments are missed, which pushes up waiting times.

Charges for what the Minister calls 'some non-essential services' are also being considered - with the homebirth service being given as an example.

"..with a view to striking a balance between ensuring that all Islanders have fair, affordable access to services that are necessary to their health and wellbeing, whilst not creating an unsustainable financial burden for the Island.

"This is a critical given the known increasing costs of the health and care provision in Jersey, although the potential impact of charging for non- essential services on patient choice is recognised (or conversely, of not providing non-essential services).

" An example of a non-essential service is the homebirth service which is currently suspended."

Any such charges would have to be agreed by the States Assembly.