Fight is on for UK health deal
Monday 14th December 2009, 3:00PM GMT.
Health Minister Anne Pryke
HEALTH Minister Anne Pryke has pledged to fight for the return of the UK reciprocal health agreement next year.
But she says that the Island might have to wait until after the UK general election to open up negotiations.
Her comments follow criticism of ministers by UK MP Andrew Mackinlay, who said that the Island should have fought harder to keep the deal.
In Saturday’s JEP Mr Mackinlay was reported as saying: ‘They really want to be getting on planes and banging on the door. It was an arbitrary decision taken rather arrogantly, in my view, by the minister here in London.’
Deputy Pryke, who took over the Health post after the end of the reciprocal deal on 1 April this year, said she was ‘absolutely’ going to work to get the deal back.
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If she apologises for the money we took off them unnecessarily, she may stand a chance, and let’s hope they don’t ask for the money back, as it was rather a large amount we kept taking wasn’t it. Some government we have or have had, no scruples at all take, take, take, spend, spend,spend and couldn’t care less about the hardworking general public who have to bear the burdens of their greed and ego’s.
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Glad that someone is looking at this now and hopefully a deal can be brokered.
However, one has to ask:
- Why start the negotiations next year, why not now and why not a year ago?
- Were Jersey ministers aware of the UK overpaying for years?
- Will the UK ask for their money back, after all it’s quite a lot of cash!
- In the interim period, will the Jersey government cover its residents for UK travel?
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So the 3 years’ notice the States and civil service had of the possible removal wasn’t long enough but now “we’ll fight”.
Are UK MPs the only way to get States’ Members to care now? Perhaps they could look at how to make local consultants to care about their patients while they’re at it.
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Now here is a lady with a bit of gumption and tenacity. I have no doubt she will do her best to get the UK reciprocal health agreement in the new year. At last there is someone as a Health Minister who knows what she is talking about – after all she was a qualified nurse.
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one wonders who sanctioned ripping the British Govt.off to the tune of over 3 Million quid,as the service according to your columns cost us a little over £300k..yet we charged the U.K. over £3Mil. if that is indeed correct there ought to be consequences for whoever authorised the official stealing…
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Lets hope it can be reinstated, if it is does this mean that Jersey patients in UK hospitals will no longer have to pay the £7.20 per item prescription charge for out patient medication. My friend is in in the UK recovering from a kidney transplant and the list of drugs is extensive, some 14 items costing over £100 per prescription covering a 2 week period.
He did say that he doesn’t pay for his prescriptions but the helpful pharmacist said ” you do here”
This in addition to having to pay for his flights to the UK, some 16 return flights in all as he does not qualify for free flights even though he earns much less than the Jersey average wage. Can Anne Pryke look into this also? as it’s a lot of money to find when not working ( he’s in the building trade and doesn’t get paid for being sick beyond statutory sick pay )
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I fully support Minister Anne Pryke with her work on this and at least she is doing something for Health.
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Well better late than never.
It is of course now going to be difficult to re-instate a health costs package agreement with the UK on favourable terms; far better to have dealt with this matter at the start of the year. The UK Government cancelled the reciprocal with only the slightest murmur by way of a reaction from the States.
The best move now perhaps is for Jersey’s Health Minister to play to the General Election factor. UK Governments do not like bad news health stories at election times, the media make much of the consequential embarrassment and there is going to be an General Election next May (or before) in the UK.
The damage done to Jersey’s tourist trade by cancelling of the reciprocal agreement is, judging by the lack of comment, underestimated by States members. Up until the recent comment from the UK this important matter was clearly not on the radar of any States Member; thank goodness that we have at least one politician at Westminster looking after us.
Peter Anthony Troy, St Saviour Jersey.
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Unfortunatly the Horse has bolted and like everything else in life…once its gone its gone for good. Blame the politicians who knew about this back then.
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Maybe if we offered to repay the amount we overgharged the UK in the last few decades (£30-£50 million) then they may look sympathetically at reinstating the agreement, (on the condition that we bill them the actual cost each year from now on)
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The UK Labour government have all but bankrupted the country and are thrashing around to find cuts.
Jersey people cannot vote for them so we are an easy target. I do not think they will reinstate this whilst they are borrowing £16 BILLION a month to fund welfare payments.
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Re: Ivor Arthur Brain (4)
I am sure Anne Pryke has the tenacity you espouse but I fear very little gumption is she is seeking open negotiation with Her Majesties Government by picking a fight. It is Jersey that is beholden, Her Majesties Government can, and has, walked away from disproportionate reciprocal agreement.
When you are on the back foot, bury your pride and beg.
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Typical Jersey arrogance. We ripped off the UK Government for years, yet some people still feel they owe us continued access to proper healthcare. We love to claim our independence from the UK, but want hand outs when it suits us. No wonder so many Scots live in Jersey, this is the exact same mentality north of the border. Why should the UK Government even entertain the idea? We don’t pay into their system, and tourism has plummeted here, so not many UK residents would use our service anyway
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Mr Troy has suggested that “The best move now perhaps is for Jersey’s Health Minister to play to the General Election factor. UK Governments do not like bad news health stories at election times, the media make much of the consequential embarrassment and there is going to be an General Election next May (or before) in the UK”.
Really?
Mr Troy has clearly not yet grasped that the Bailiwick of Jersey has, to all effects and purposes, defrauded the United Kingdom of tens of millions of pounds.
That makes us the bad guys, not the UK Government.
British citizens do not and will not avoid coming here because of an avaricious, fraudulent, and totally immoral Jersey government. They stay away because of a lack of advertising in that country, and the overt greed of our tourist and hospitality industries that do all possible to squeeze every last penny from our guests’ wallets for minimal returns.
Get real, Mr Troy.
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“Thank goodness that we have at least one politician at Westminster looking after us”.
Very possibly, but surely Senator Syvret’s proper place is here in Jersey?
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No 8, the people of the UK are delighted by the fact that they are no longer subsidising Jersey’s healthcare. The fact that Labour put a stop to it is a vote winner!
As for tourism, people can get insurance, they have to do it everywhere else they go. It’s only difficult for those who already have lifetime insurance in place and have to add Jersey onto it now while having pre-existing conditions. This scenario now affects me when visiting home (the UK), I’ve had to get insurance while having a pre-existing condition. Even then if I want medical attention I’m going to have to immediately make a booking for a minimum of two nights with the cheapest establishment I can find as staying with family or friends doesn’t count!
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