17 May 2024
From Monday 20 May, the cost of GP visits will be reduced by a further £10 following an
increase in Government support.
With this latest reduction, which applies to all face-to-face appointments, surgery
consultations and home visits, Islanders are now receiving an overall subsidy of £50.28
towards their GP appointments.
Reducing the cost of General Practitioner fees is one of the Government’s priorities
identified in the Common Strategic Policy. GP fees are currently subsidised by the
Government, but patient charges have created a barrier to some Islanders accessing health
services. This latest reduction aims to ease this financial pressure.
The increase in the subsidy will be funded from the Health Insurance Fund. Non-GP
practitioners, remote consultations and out-of-hour services (JDOC) remain outside of this
service.
The Minister for Social Security, Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, said: “The new Government
committed to reducing the cost of seeing a GP and I am pleased that we reached this
latest agreement with the Primary Care Body to deliver this priority.
“I recognise that many people continue to face cost-of-living challenges. Everyone should
be able to access GP care, and by subsidising fees further my aim is to reduce cost barriers
for patients where possible and to support them with living healthier lives.”
Gordon Callander for the Primary Care Body, representing GPs in Jersey, said: "We
welcome any Government initiative that reduces costs to patients to ease any financial
barriers especially to those most in need."