Causes for concern in Alderney
THE need for the States of Guernsey to jump to the assistance of the States of Alderney this week over the snap decision of the island’s medical practice to shut up shop tomorrow is concerning on many fronts.
Concerning for the island’s population, many of them elderly, who faced the prospect of being without a doctor. They can be reassured – to an extent – by both States maintaining that something will be done.
A few months ago there were three GPs based in Alderney. One left, one went part-time and then quit, and then there was one… struggling on, having to offer an unsustainable 24/7 service, all while the practice he was working for was losing money.
The circumstances for withdrawing services are understandable, even if the way it has been done is less so.
The news is also very concerning for Guernsey. Because if ‘little’ Alderney can no longer get by on its own, even with fragile, ‘make do and mend’-type arrangements and goodwill that the island has thrived on for decades, on the basis that they are unsustainable for a small community, demands may grow for more significant structures, which will come at a cost.
If Alderney cannot meet those demands themselves, they are likely to be pushed upstairs to Guernsey.
And Alderney’s longer-term sustainability as a community will come under further scrutiny.