HEALTH

Health

I have already touched on some of the challenges I see that are on the horizon in respect to the island’s aging population. I fully endorse the preventative measures taken by HSC in their support of initiatives such as the Health Improvement Commission’s work to encourage all islanders, but especially older islanders, to eat healthily and take regular exercise - and also to access non-medical support in the fight against smoking and obesity which can lead to chronic ill-health, which in turn results in time off work, adding to the island’s financial burden.

Most of all, I would encourage further HSC collaboration with primary care on how best to assist those without private health insurance who struggle to afford healthcare, to ensure that islanders are not discouraged from seeking consultation in the early stages of an illness, and leave it till it is a much more serious -and expensive- problem. While I’m aware of the restraints on Health spending due to financial concerns, I believe that providing better funding for early diagnosis actually saves the government money in the long run, while also creating a healthier population.

When it was first Introduced in 1992, the £12 GP visit subsidy accounted for 50% of the cost of an appointment with a doctor; today it is nearer to 15% of the cost of a GP visit. If elected, I will ask that the States review the GP visit subsidy, as I believe that the £12 grant for GP visits needs to be increased to ensure that islanders do not avoid dealing with issues as they arise due to the cost of a visit to their doctor.

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