Comment to P.174/2009 influenza pandemic funding

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A decision made 4 December 2009 regarding: Comment to P.174/2009 influenza pandemic funding.

Decision Reference: MD-HSS-2009-0061
Decision Summary Title :	Comment to P174/2009 Influenza pandemic funding		Date of Decision Summary:	30 November 2009
Decision Summary Author:	Assistant Director Corporate Planning Performance Management		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title :	H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Funding: Expenditure Approval		Date of Written Report:	30 November 2009
Written Report Author:	Acting Chief Officer		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: P174/2009 Influenza pandemic funding: Comment by the Minister of Health and Social Services
Decision(s): The Minister approved the comment to P147/2009 Influenza pandemic funding
Reason(s) for decision: To allow the allocation of sufficient funding required to manage the consequences of H1N1 pandemic influenza
Resource Implications: Unknown The funding will only be made available to the department via a public Ministerial Decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on evidence of the need to incur costs to manage the consequences of an H1N1 pandemic influenza.
Action required: The Greffier of the States to be requested to lodge the comment ‘au Greffe’
Signature:		Position: Minister for Health and Social Services
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Comment to P.174/2009 influenza pandemic funding

STATES OF JERSEY

H1N1 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC

FUNDING: EXPENDITURE APPROVAL

Comment

Lodged au Greffe

by the Minister for Health & Social Services

STATES GREFFE

Comment

The Minister for Health & Social Services has noted that the Public Accounts Committee has concerns regarding the use of pandemic funding. The suggestion that such funding will ultimately be used to cover budget overruns in the Health and Social Services Department (H&SS) that have little to do with actual pandemic spending requirements is unfounded.

The Minister for Treasury & Resources has put in place robust procedures to ensure that monies are only reallocated in order to fund costs associated with managing the consequences of a wave of illness caused by H1N1 influenza. The funding will only be made available to the department via a public Ministerial Decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on evidence of the need to incur costs to manage the consequences of an H1N1 pandemic influenza.

Furthermore, the Minister for Health & Social Services supports the PAC’s amendment:

“(c) to request the Minister for Treasury and Resources to forward a

detailed and comprehensive breakdown to the Public Accounts

Committee (PAC) as soon as practicable detailing exactly how the

funds were spent in order to confirm that funds were used only for

pandemic-specific costs, and to provide written confirmation to the

PAC that the States Treasurer will monitor and verify all spending

The Minister expects complete transparency regarding expenditure related to the management of the current Swine Flu outbreak.

The Minister for Health & Social Services does not support the further amendment (d)

to agree that the ability to withdraw funds under paragraph (b) will

expire on 31st December 2009 and shall not be carried forward.”

The reason for not supporting this amendment is as follows:

The escalation of confirmed swine flu cases in Jersey during the month of November 2009 mean that the Island is now in an outbreak. With a successful vaccination program underway and a target of 50% vaccination coverage by year end, it is anticipated that this outbreak will peak in Jersey in 2009. Whilst the UK are likely to experience a second wave in early 2010, past experience of pandemic effects upon Jersey combined with the unprecedented use of vaccine, means that Jersey may escape a second wave. This being the case, expenditure related to swine flu in 2010 may be insignificant. However, Pandemics are unpredictable and experts are not in a position to predict with such accuracy the future behaviour of such viruses or their spread across a population. The strategy to date has been to “hope for the best and plan for the worst”. Such plans include potential spending in 2010 and it is therefore unwise to exclude such an option by this amendment.

Should spending related to Swine Flu not be required in 2010, then these funds will not be allocated. Any spending in 2010 will be subject to the same level of scrutiny to ensure they are allocated in a prudent manner.

MINISTER FOR HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES