‘Health – how much should we spend?’

Heidi Soulsby was responding to former Health minister Peter Roffey’s argument that islanders were being denied treatments for life-threatening illnesses that are available on the NHS.

Deputy Soulsby said that Health & Social Care was reviewing how much divergence was acceptable – it was part of a policy letter on the future of the service agreed by the States in December.

‘As part of this process, we have begun to review the access to drugs for people being treated in the UK and who require ongoing drugs when they return, as well as to model the potential financial impact were we to follow Nice guidelines,’ she said.

‘We also intend to beef up this proposition when we debate the Policy & Resource Plan in June.’

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [Nice] is the body that decides what drugs can be prescribed in the UK. She said it was almost inevitable that if its guidelines were followed, the budget for drugs and treatments would need to increase.

HSC currently spends £3m. on drugs used at the PEH. Employment & Social Security controls £17m. of spending on drugs prescribed in the community.

The committees are working on transferring that latter budget to HSC.

‘But the important point to note here is that, contrary to what has been implied elsewhere, recent general revenue savings achieved by Health & Social Care have not been made by restricting access to drugs.’

Modelling suggests that spending on health and care will increase in real terms from £193m. to £214m. by 2027 if nothing changes in the way it is provided.

Even with fundamental transformation, there is still likely to be a funding gap of £3m. to £12m. per annum as a result of an ageing population, medical inflation and high expectations.

HSC wants to provide fairer access to primary care as a priority this term.

‘We don’t want people put off going to the doctor because of the cost and, the truth is, cancer survival is much more improved through early diagnosis than drugs. It too will come at a cost, but long term should help enhance sustainability and outcomes,’ she said.

‘So, should we be putting money into making primary care free at the point of delivery, or increasing the number of drugs available? Or both? This is the debate we now need to be having.’