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Health Insurance Fund: transfer to Health and Social Services Department for 2012 (P.185/2011) – comments.

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STATES OF JERSEY

HEALTH INSURANCE FUND: TRANSFER TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR 2012 (P.185/2011) – COMMENTS

Presented to the States on 13th January 2012 by the Council of Ministers

STATES GREFFE

2011   Price code: A  P.185 Com.

COMMENTS

P.185/2011 seeks the Assembly's agreement to withdraw an amount of £6,131,000 from the Health Insurance Fund for the purpose of funding primary care services in 2012.

Primary care services are the first point of contact that individuals and their families have with health and social care services. Currently in Jersey, many different health professionals  working  for  a  range  of  private  and  public  sector  organisations  are involved in providing these services.

In  the  report accompanying  P.125/2010,  it  was  noted  that the  Health  and  Social Services Department was spending in excess of £6.9 million providing primary care services. When adopting P.125/2010, the States Assembly provided for a sum of £6,131,000 to be transferred from the Health Insurance Fund to the Health and Social Services Department in 2011 and an unspecified sum in 2012 to fund these services.

The first such transfer of £6,131,000 was included within the primary legislation and applied to the year 2011.

The release of the £6,131,000 to the Health and Social Services Department in 2011 was tightly controlled by the Minister for Treasury and Resources. The Minister for Treasury  and  Resources  sanctioned  the  release  of  funding  following  receipt  of evidence from the Health and Social Services Department confirming expenditure in respect of primary care services. The balance of the cost of primary care services administered through the Health and Social Services Department was funded directly from the Department's revenue budget.

The evidence supporting the transfer of funds was subject to an independent audit commissioned by the Treasurer of the States. The audit was satisfactorily completed and the 2011 transfer approved by the Treasurer of the States. This process ensured a robust and independent review of the transfer was undertaken before any funds were transferred.

The Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Minister for Health and Social Services will ask the Treasurer of the States to adopt the same approach in respect of any transfer in 2012; ensuring that before any funds are transferred there is a robust and independent review of the proposed transfer.

The Council of Ministers supports this proposition, as the Health Insurance Fund was established to provide Primary Health Care to the community. It is clear from previous reviews and audits that Health and Social Services are providing primary health care services and as such, these costs should be met from the Health Insurance Fund.

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P.185/2011 Com.