Over £5.6m spent on 23 off-island health placements last year

Friday 04 October 2024

Over £5.6m was spent last year on sending 23 Jersey patients to the UK for specialist care, it has emerged.

Mental Health Director Andy Weir said that the high cost was driven by an increased number of patients with "very specific needs that required a high level of intensive nursing care" in 2023.

The figures were revealed in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Law by Express almost a year ago.

The data showed that the cost of off-island health placements soared from £3.5m in 2022, to £5.6m in 2023 – despite little increase in the number of patients being sent away.

A total of 21 patients were placed off-island in 2022, compared to 23 in 2023.

Pictured: The cost of off-island health placed soared from £3.5m in 2022, to £5.6m in 2023 – despite little increase in the number of patients being sent away.

Off-island placements are only agreed based on individual clinical need, and most typically when a specialist inpatient service is required that cannot be provided in Jersey – such as secure psychiatric care or a specialist eating disorder unit.

The response also confirmed that seven individuals under the age of 18 were also sent from Jersey to UK-based mental health institutions over the past five years. 

Mr Weir explained that the soaring costs were down to UK-wide price surges and an increased need for specialist care.

He explained: "Specialist mental health placement costs generally have gone up in the UK, but specifically a number of the patients placed last year had very specific needs that required a high level of intensive nursing care, which has significantly increased the costs."

Mr Weir added: "In general, care costs have gone up everywhere – this is also reflected in the current HCS overspend on placements and care packages on island."

Pictured: Mental Health Director Andy Weir said that the high cost was driven by an increased number of patients requiring "a high level of intensive nursing care".

The Mental Health Director also pointed out that no patients were placed off-island due to lack of space in Jersey.

He explained: "We only place people in the UK when we cannot provide the care here – for example, secure forensic care, specialist eating disorders or specialist children’s placements.

"We haven’t sent anyone to the UK because we don’t have a bed on Orchard House or Cedar ward at all in the time that I have been here."

The newly-redeveloped Clinique Pinel in St Saviour opened its doors at the end of June after facing two years of delays. 

The £10.7m mental health ward is home to 16 en-suite rooms and a “place of safety” Article 36 suite for patients detained under mental health law.

Express has also asked the Government to clarify why the response to the request made under FOI Law about the number and cost of Jersey patients sent to UK-based mental health institutions – which was submitted in November 2023 – took almost a year to come back.