Guernsey Press

Why chronic illness can be crushing financially

THERE has been talk recently from both Health & Social Care and Employment & Social Security about abolishing the £12 and £6 grants for visits to doctors and nurses. Instead they will ‘seek to assist those not on supplementary benefit, but who nevertheless find primary care very expensive’.

Published

Ever since the MSG was formed, treatment to patients by them, generally speaking, has been free. If you have an acute condition, by its very nature you will be referred to MSG quickly, and from then, in many cases, the operation or procedure will restore you to full health in that condition.

On the other hand, chronic illness, apart from being debilitating, can be crushing financially, with many primary care visits, going on for years.

I think that when MSG was formed, and we paid for it on our insurance stamp, if, instead of specialist costs being free to the individual from that point, a percentage of the cost, 10% for instance, could have been charged to patients who were not on supplementary, with an instalment plan for those who would struggle to pay the charge immediately. The money then saved could have been transferred directly to the primary care subsidy.

Instead, while one set of illnesses were treated largely free of charge, with hopes of full recovery, those with the other set had, and still have, to suffer years of illness with the added worry of ever rising doctors’ bills.

The suggested way of seeking ‘to assist those not on supplementary benefit, but who nevertheless find primary care very expensive’ looks on paper as if it will help the most in need, and also save money. Obviously, saving the grant money is the chief aim of the proposal, but how will it work? There will have to be a means test of some sort.

Take an elderly couple, one or both of whom need regular primary care. They own their home, but have very little money. Will their house be taken into consideration?

Then there’s the family in rented accommodation, ‘just about managing’, with the main earner having a condition that needs constant primary care monitoring. Will they meet the criteria?

Another family, similar to the last one, but with a mortgage – how will they fare?

It’s a minefield. I think it would lead to more people not going to the doctor at times when they should.

Bringing in a percentage charge for MSG care would be unpopular initially, and it wouldn’t completely solve the problem. There’s not enough money to do that, but it might perhaps ease the burden that people with chronic conditions suffer financially, just because they have the wrong sort of illness.

GEORGE FARNHAM,

La Forge,

Brock Road,

St Sampson’s,

GY2 4PN.