Services saved by U-turn

Saturday 1st August 2009, 3:00PM BST.

Health Minister Anne Pryke

HEALTH Minister Anne Pryke has bowed to pressure and backed down on spending cuts that would have closed Grands Vaux family centre and reduced patient transport services.

There was an angry reaction to moves to axe grants for a number of bodies and cut community services after Health were told to slash £1.4m from its annual budget.

Deputy Pryke has now conceded that the lives of the elderly and vulnerable would be adversely affected and has reversed her earlier decisions.

The cuts were announced as part of a plan to meet an 0.8 per cent savings target imposed on each department as part of the States Business Plan.

Deputy Pryke said that over the past week she had ‘listened carefully’ to responses from people with ‘deep concerns and anxiety’ over the cuts.

• See Saturday’s JEP for full story.

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1
Alan

August 1, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Being a cynic, I never believed that these services would be cut in the first place. This was a bit of Government Spin to create an Island Uproar. Once achieved they have now carried out their carefully planned U Turn so that the public at large are led to believe that our Government listen to its people! Do not be taken in.

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2
david brown

August 1, 2009 at 4:52 pm

well done .

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3
Keith

August 2, 2009 at 6:14 am

Alan comment 1 – I believe you are right nonetheless I am pleased to see that this decision has been taken. It’s all too easy for the majority to forget how reliant the elderly and infirm are upon our health service. I never gave it a second thought until I was diagnosed with a critical illness. Now my life revolves around hosptial visits and primary healthcare, the view is somewhat different.

The truth is that even without these proposed cuts the health service is underfunded. I know of doctors and nurses who often work extra hours for free to ensure patient care. I know of one consultant who pays for patients to fly to the UK for treatment as they do not qualify for free flights and cannot afford to pay.

There are always areas where money can be saved but it should be through a process of refinement and continous improvement, not simple slashing of funds.

Anne Pryke I continue to watch you with interest and hope that you do not forget your roots.

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4
Marks perspective

August 2, 2009 at 10:30 am

Nice to see an upfront Minister, taking responsibility; right or wrong. Unlike other departments the Minister serves the public and the civil service, the senior civil servants serve the Minister. No great surprise, that is how things should be.

Let us all hope that others in Jersey follow the Ministerial example of Anne Pryke

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5
Diane

August 2, 2009 at 6:33 pm

Perhaps “the minister” should have had the foresight to realise the consequences of the proposed cuts before agreeing to them and allowing them to be announced in the press!

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6
Keith

August 2, 2009 at 8:10 pm

diane comment 5 “Perhaps “the minister” should have had the foresight to realise the consequences of the proposed cuts before agreeing to them and allowing them to be announced in the press”!

In an ideal world perhaps but cut her some slack, she’s new to the job and has done the right thing, have you never made a mistake?

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7
michael

August 3, 2009 at 11:13 am

The Health service isn’t under funded it mismanaged with to much funds spent on management and administration which should and could be used to employ more medical staff to assist the ones we already have who do a fantastic job with limited resources. Reduce the admin cost and increase the medical funding is what they should be looking at.

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8
Nellie Macon

August 3, 2009 at 3:57 pm

7. Michael – Precisely – Health Department employees have been saying this for years and it’s a well known fact.

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9
Jacqueline

August 3, 2009 at 5:37 pm

Sorry to be a cynic but what exactly did the health minister expect all those in need would say whoopee?? I am sick to death of those we elect to look after us ( before themselves) do not in fact do that. But to make admends they do a backstep which they think will appease us. Sorry h.m. in my estimation you no longer will recieve my vote in the future.No 6 Keith ( new to the job ? ) she has the same salary that we pay to them that take it. ( sorry no excuse)

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