HEALTH chiefs have been forced to admit that negotiations with Westminster to delay the scrapping of the reciprocal health agreement appear to have failed.
The UK Department of Health has notified Health Minister Jim Perchard (pictured) that it plans to withdraw from the deal on 31 March. As a result, the Island stands to lose millions of pounds in revenue because Jersey is understood to have benefitted financially from the 30-year-old deal.
It is also likely that Islanders will soon need insurance to travel to the UK because they will not be guaranteed free healthcare. Health had previously stated that they had hoped to delay the withdrawal for several years.
30-year-old agreement
The scrapping of the deal would mean Islanders had to pay for some healthcare, although Health insist that accident and emergency treatment would remain free to Jersey residents in England. They say that it is any further treatment on wards, operations or outpatient appointments that could incur a charge.
The changes will not affect people who are referred for specialist treatment in the UK which is already paid for by the Health and Social Services Department.
