Bring back reciprocal health agreement with UK

The current advice to islanders and visitors from the UK, is that they should take out travel insurance to cover health emergencies. However this is still not happening for a variety of reasons, probably the main one being ignorance that there is no automatic cover in the respective countries.

Even those insured under annual travel policies in both Guernsey and the UK may not be aware that some policies do not cover them unless two days' accommodation is booked and paid for in advance, which of course rules out staying with relatives and friends. There are also some elderly people and those with serious past health issues who cannot obtain insurance except at very inflated cost with probable medical exclusions, and who are therefore virtually denied the prospect of travel and visiting family and friends.

It seems that it is all down to money, although there is no, or very little, direct cost to the States; rather a potential loss of income of between £400,000 and £500,000 per annum from treating those people from the UK who have a medical emergency here. It appears that these unfortunate people who are uninsured despite the advice given, and no doubt for the reasons mentioned earlier, are simply regarded as a revenue stream which the States is very reluctant to lose. I'm sure that these people wish that they had visited Jersey or the Isle of Man instead where they would not have had to pay.

The Policy Council are opposed to the requete as they have been advised by Commerce and Employment that there is no evidence that the lack of a Reciprocal Health Agreement has an impact on tourism and also as there is a separate investigation apparently going on into its reinstatement. It is not easy to prove that this affects tourism but common sense suggests that if there is a choice of destination for visitors and all the facts are known, then provision of free emergency health cover may well have an influence on final selection for some people. The fact that £400,000/£500,000 has been incurred by uninsured visitors surely must indicate that at least some of our visitors are suffering, which cannot be good for our image.

However tourism is only one part of the issue and the consequences for islanders are just as, if not more, significant. There has been no Reciprocal Health Agreement since 2009 and this requete gives the States an opportunity to sort the matter out once and for all. Clearly no department wants the loss of revenue deducted from their budget, but if the will is there it cannot be beyond the ability of the States to come up with an equitable solution as to how the loss of income may be accounted for. In terms of the overall States budget it is a very small amount, and this is something that the States can do that will give a direct benefit to many islanders and visitors alike.

I think a significant number of islanders are looking to the States to act on this matter now.

PETER HYDE,

Le Preel Cottage,

Castel.