States looking at potential of money from medical tourism

The initiative was announced by Deputy Peter Ferbrache in his maiden speech as president of Policy & Resources.

He said it would involve capital expenditure and may require a change of the rules to allow bond money to be used.

P&R member Jonathan Le Tocq is leading on the matter and will give the States an update in three months’ time.

Deputy Le Tocq stressed that it was early days, but that medical tourism could become an important driver of the economy, while also increasing the amount of specialist care available to islanders, and reducing the costs and trauma of having to go to the UK for specialist treatment.

‘The world is changing all around us and years ago this idea was put in the too difficult pile and we didn’t have the desire to invest, but now we are looking at what we can do, and we have this perfect storm of Brexit and Covid around us.

‘Many people go to the EU to use private health facilities, or even China and South Africa, but even after Covid people are probably not going to want to travel so far.’

In the States, Deputy Peter Roffey raised a potential pitfall with a question about a two-tier health system, but that was rebuffed by Policy & Resources.

It is thought that medical tourism would mean the island would have more resident consultants, and many of the procedures would not even require the use of theatres.

For example, IVF is not available in Guernsey and it is classed as non-surgical, and through medical tourism it could be offered to local people who are having difficulty conceiving.

The recruitment of consultants to Guernsey encounters barriers because for some there is not enough work or variety, so the opportunity to also be involved with medical tourism could make the island a more attractive work option.

After receiving treatment patients could recuperate in dedicated facilities within local hotels.

Deputy Le Tocq intends to talk to the island’s clinicians to get their views on the idea as part of his investigation.

In 2012, Oxford Economics

was commissioned to produce a report for the States and it found there was ‘notable economic potential’ for a medical tourism industry.

Cosmetic surgery was found to be one of the ‘strongest opportunities’ for growth, in both the domestic and external markets.

It cited anecdotal evidence that the domestic market could be worth, at that time, ‘tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds per year’, and that revenue was

being lost to the UK and elsewhere.

The mental health market was also highlighted in the report as an area where Guernsey could develop specialist expertise because of the attractive physical environment.

The vision was that services offered should be high quality, selective and discreet.

‘To attract appropriate higher-income consumers, the medical tourism sector should probably be sold in tandem with Guernsey’s existing core brand image – premium quality, skilled professional labour and relaxed, picturesque surroundings.’