Scrutiny writes to Health Minister about department overspends
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12 May 2025
The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel has written an urgent letter to the Minister for Health, Deputy Tom Binet, following the publication of the States Annual Report and Accounts, which revealed overspends within the departmental budget.The Panel has put a series of questions to the Minister following the confirmation that his Department exceeded its budget by £28 million in 2024 and is projected to do so again in 2025.
In writing to Deputy Binet, the Panel is seeking clarification on the following matters:
- Departmental cost transparency
- Understanding of financial requirements
- The root causes of overspending within Health
- Actions taken to control costs
- Long-term financial planning
‘We are fully aware that the pressures on spending across Government departments – particularly in Health – are significant, and we sympathise with the Minister in this regard. However, spending cannot be unlimited and there have been overspends within Health for several years now.
‘During a recent Scrutiny Hearing, the Minister told the Panel that he would need more funding for his Department and may seek to secure funding from the Strategic Reserve for this. The Panel will be scrutinising this to be sure that funds are being used appropriately. It is crucial that we, and the public, understand what the main factors in these overspends are, how the Minister is working to control costs and how the budget is being future-proofed moving forward. Given there are major clinical and infrastructure projects being planned within Health, it is essential that finances are being managed properly.’
The Panel has requested a response from the Minister by 16 May. The letter can be read in full HERE.
