Concern over ‘health tourists’
Monday 1st December 2008, 3:00PM GMT.
‘HEALTH tourists’ who have not paid a penny in taxes are costing Islanders hundreds of thousands of pounds a year by coming to Jersey for specialist treatment.
The JEP has learned that there are so few rules stopping people with no connection to the Island getting ‘free’ care that they can get off the plane and head straight down to the General Hospital. To those who know how to exploit the system in Jersey, it is possible for a ‘health tourist’ to get anything from a kidney transplant to long-term HIV care courtesy of Island taxpayers.
Health said that there had been an ‘explosion’ in the problem during the past 18 months. As a result, bona fide local residents have to wait longer for treatment and Health’s budget is being squeezed ever tighter. In 2007, Health has estimated the cost at around £250,000, but the truth is that they have no real idea about the extent of the problem and fear that the cost could be far higher.
Mike Pollard, the chief executive of Health and Social Services, said: ‘We have been playing a game of cat and mouse for years now and it is clear that more resolute action has to be taken to protect the Island’s interests. All European jurisdictions have realised that this is a problem and are each looking to defend their borders. Jersey is no different.’
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
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been going on for a long time this one , how many resident islanders have felt very unwell?
gone to the hospital under their own steam only to be told go to your gp.
mind you i have used a uk hospital in the past and was not turned away.
is this what travel insurance is for?
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There are so few rules stopping people with no connection to the Island getting ‘free’… Anything that they can in Jersey!!!
Genrally the powers that be have no real idea on anything in Jersey, including population figures for a start.
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So now we know why we have 3% GST, it is to pay for all the people who have never contributed a penny to our economy but are able to waltz in and have medical attention worth thousands no doubt of front of local. Hang you heads in shame States Members.
We need —
Work permits
Right to live in Jersey permits
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The problem now is that you can’t say anything like the above otherwise we are then told “how lucky we are” to have all these people from the UK over here.
Please, please, can somebody have the courage to bring in immigration control and stop sailing the locals up the river??
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Jersey is run by a load of farmer barleymoes!
its disgracefull the way things are hear.
But what can you expect from an island that feeds its Gorillas “organic fruit and veg”.
When i read this the other day i couldnt believe it.Some of the stores over hear are selling food not fit for pigs,yet the Gorillas have to have organic????
I am totally stunned how apes take presidence over people its obscene.
Can anyone explain how some folk cannot afford to buy any fruit yet these Apes are given the finest its shamefull. Shows the mentality of it all dosent it!
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I agree its disgusting, I mean next thing you know Jersey residents will be going to the UK for treatment by the NHS for free after not contributing to the UK tax system….. or even buying houses in the EU or UK without having to live and pay taxes (extortionate rent) for 10+ years…. at least someone is getting something for nothing out of Jersey.
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yet Jersey residents are in uproar if their free treatment in the UK is in question even though they contribute nothing to the UK… swings and roundabouts
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Bergerac: Jersey and the UK have a reciprical agreement which includes UK residents getting free treatment here. Jersey donesn’t have agreements with other countries where Jersey residents probably woudn’t be covered.
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I’m applying to live in the zoo! Surely there are fewer Jersey folk than gorillas!
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Jersey does have to pay for Jersey residents going go UK for treatment.
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They “Jersey telecom” sent me the same online billing paper “twice”
which ironically says “It’s easy to make the change to “paperless” and help the enviroment????
My father worked all his life has had two strokes diabetes pneumonia and kidney failiure.
What does he get to eat in the hospital in January? A cold sandwich and fruit juice with sugar in it!
So that’s what my father worked for from the age of eleven 12 hours a day for!
If reincarnation exists let us hope we all come back as an ape in Jersey zoo!!!!
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Reg – jersey paid the UK in order for us to get treatment there – we had a mutual agreement and of course we’re going to whine about the UK taking that away – many unfortunate people have to go to Southampton or London to get treatment as we just don’t have the facilities in our hospital. I think this article refers to the population of other countries in Europe such as France, Belgium, Sweeden and Poland
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Joker is right, there is a reciprical arrangement with the UK regarding healthcare for islanders. I think the article was misleading when it stated that people are getting off the plane for kidney transplants. I have kidney failure and have been on dialysis for a year, I’ve only just been placed on the transplant list due to the rigorous tests needed to ensure suitability for transplant.The average wait is 2 years although I know a guy who waited 7 years for a transplant, hardly just off the plane!
A patient with kidney failure would need to be assesed and undergo many tests before treatment could begin, you could hardly do this without living in Jersey and unless independently wealthy, working here. Of the 9,000 people currently awaiting a transplant in the UK ( Jersey included ) 1000 are dying every year because an organ does not become available in time, this type of malicious scaremongering does little to help us.
Whilst I agree that there is an issue with people coming to Jersey for medical treatment I feel that the article was innacurate and misleading.
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If it’s people from the UK then the UK Government pays for it under the reciprocal agreement. So I can only assume that it is not, in fact, people from the UK that the article is referring to.
Never mind that with the specialists available in the UK there would simply be no need for someone to come over here just to get healthcare, they would be better off getting it in the UK!
Sue, while that is true, the UK actually loses out on that agreement hence the recent headlines about possibly pulling the agreement, the UK taxpayer is still slightly subsidising the treatment of Jersey people being treated in the UK (although personally I have no problem with that).
Anyway, Jersey is better off cause you can just move to the UK whenever you want and get a job without any red tape hassle. I’m hopefully going to be moving here soon and it isn’t going to be easy, and I’m a lucky one cause I have someone to live with and don’t have to attempt your housing situation!
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Doesn’t it serve us right. After all we’ve allowed companies and individuals to evoid tax in their home jurisdictions in return for lots of legal and admin fees. Time we gave something back.
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I was taken ill on holiday and was told to go to hospital on my arrival after getting back and phoneing the General was told to call my doctor out and not come to the hospital How unfair is this as to get a doctor out in the evening would have cost me an arm and leg, Also recently had to see my doctor costing “£28 the visit and he sent me for an exray “£16:50 then to go back to Doctors visit “£28 for results Total Cost £72 is this fair for locals to pay or OAP tell me
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Just for the record, the zoo grow their own organic veg using manure from the animals as fertilizer ! They do this to give these animals the nutrients they need without having to pay extortionate Jersey prices. I agree that we need some sort of control on health care but lets not bring the zoo into this – they do an amazing job (for very low wages I might add) in order to protect endangered species.
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Watch what happens to the reciprocal health agreement in the new year. This whole story is just a lead-in to the fact that Jersey has for years paid peanuts to the UK for its residents’ specialised healthcare. I suspect our health adminstrators have known this for ages and are now finding it difficult to face up to the public about things. Nice smokescreeen, JEP.
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Trisha, It is not the first time JEP turn the facts around to make sensational cover story… There is no justice in Jersey and they can get away with it. My regards to ‘reporters without borders’
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My point was that I dont want to be a part of “any” donation to save Gorrillas when “people” are on the bread line.I dont want Gorrillas thrown down my throat as they should rightly be protected in there own enviroment.
The states should subsidise Organic fruit and vegetables so that they are affordable for everyone regardless of financial status.
The hospital is the first to moan when the island has an obese situation yet the price of organic is so high. Why not make Quality street
boxes of biscuits,cakes and pies expensive but allow us all the opportunity to experience organic foods and gain the health benefits from such a diet thus cutting the costs the hospital has to spend on treating health related illnessess due to obesity.
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