Free GP care for Jersey students approved after close vote

Tuesday 12 December 2023

Politicians have agreed that a scheme providing free GP visits for children will be expanded to cover full-time students in higher education following a close vote.

The proposal – an amendment to the Government Plan 2024-2026 put forward by Reform Jersey's Deputy Carina Alves – was voted through 24 to 20.

Free face-to-face surgery consultations with GPs, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and healthcare assistants currently only applies to those aged up to 17. It includes access to a range of additional services free of charge, including blood and urine tests, referral letters, ECGs, swabs, spirometry, ear syringing and pregnancy tests. 

However, Deputy Carina Alves successfully argued this afternoon that £75,000 from the Health Insurance Fund should be used to extend the scheme to all full-time students, including those at Highlands College or at colleges and universities in the UK or abroad.

In a report outlining the reasons for her proposal, Deputy Alves pointed out that "those studying in the UK benefit from the reciprocal agreement with the UK which provides them with free access to GPs, dentists, and any other additional services whereas those studying on island do not benefit from this".

Pictured: The proposal was put forward by Deputy Carina Alves.

She also noted that "research shows that education and health are closely linked", adding that: "Students facing health challenges may struggle to attend classes regularly, concentrate on their studies, and perform well academically".

"...Providing full-time students with free healthcare at an integral time in their life is an investment with long-term and far-reaching benefits. Not only is the immediate well-being of students improved but it also contributes to a healthier, more equitable and productive society in the long run," the Deputy reasoned.

However, the scheme will only be extended if the whole Government Plan is passed in its amended form in a vote later this week. Debate on the plan, which sets Ministers' spending for the next three years, opened on Monday afternoon.

far, their original plan has not got through unscathed. One of the key changes so far has been a reduction in the amount of alcohol duty to be charged next year.

The Council of Ministers initially proposed an 8.9% hike in the price of alcohol duty for 2024, but agreed to instead put it up by 4.5% from 1 January as a "compromise" following warnings from industry leaders.

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