Guernsey Press

Reciprocal health deal with UK likely next year

GUERNSEY may be able to establish a reciprocal health agreement with the UK next year.

Published
Policy & Resources president Deputy Peter Ferbrache making his way to the States yesterday. (Picture by Cassidy Jones, 29968188)

The prospect was raised by Policy & Resources president Peter Ferbrache during an update statement to States members yesterday.

‘Our external relations team has been in active discussion with UK authorities in relation to the introduction of a reciprocal health agreement,’ he said. ‘Positive progress has been made and it is believed that there is now a real possibility that such an agreement can be put into place next year.’

A previous agreement allowed UK visitors in Guernsey or islanders visiting the UK to get free emergency healthcare. That ended in 2009.

More generally, Deputy Ferbrache gave a stark outline of the challenges faced by his committee over the remainder of this political term, quoting fellow committee member Deputy Mark Helyar’s metaphor of being ‘at the end of the runway’ in terms of public finances.

‘We have an ageing population and a diminishing workforce,’ he warned.

‘Our care homes are full. We have people in hospital beds because there are no places for them elsewhere.

‘We have invested pitifully in our infrastructure for far too long. Almost nothing has been spent.

‘As an example, the ports need millions spent on maintenance.’

Deputy Ferbrache reiterated the ‘action this day’ message which he outlined during his bid to become P&R president last year.

‘There have been too many reviews and too much navel gazing,’ he said. ‘Our procedures are too cumbersome, our processes too detailed. We are stultifying in our own verbiage.’

As an example of how the States might improve, he suggested that when it came to solving the ‘massive’ housing problem, the island would need to ‘move on from being concerned too much about traffic issues and planning concerns and focus on the bigger picture’.

Deputy Lester Queripel asked whether this meant there was an intention to dispense with the Development & Planning Authority.

Deputy Ferbrache responded by praising its work under Deputy Victoria Oliver, which he described as ‘an Atlantic Ocean better than its predecessor’ but said that ‘sometimes you’ve just got to get on and do things’.

More information was given to members regarding the roll-out of fibre broadband connectivity to homes, if the necessary funds are approved by the Assembly.

Deputy Ferbrache said that would begin before the end of this year and be finished in 2026.

‘No-one in our community will be left behind,’ he said. ‘Importantly, it will also tell the world that Guernsey is investing in its future.'

The proposal to the States is for a capped investment in the engineering programme that will be undertaken by a commercial partner in order to roll out fibre to island premises.