re Affordable primary health care

WQ.85/2020

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 25th FEBRUARY 2020

Question

What options has the Minister given to the health economists charged with developing the scheme for affordable primary health care, and what are the latest available figures, in relation to the following groups of economically, socially or clinically vulnerable patients?

1. Over 65s;
2. Over 75s;
3. Under 5s;
4. Under 16s;
5. Recipients of Long-Term Invalidity Allowance (L.T.I.A.);
6. Recipients of Short-Term Incapacity Allowance (S.T.I.A.);
7. Recipients of Income Support;
8. People in receipt of Income Suppose impairment components 2 and 3; and
9. People in receipt of the clinical or mobility component.

Answer

The Health Economists have a wide brief to consider the Jersey Care Model and its suitability and sustainability for Jersey. Following commitments made in the Government Plan, P125 and the vision of the Jersey Care Model, officers are developing options to improve access to primary care by reducing financial barriers for patients who are financially, clinically or socially vulnerable. This involves identifying and prioritising which vulnerable groups are most in need of such access.

The demographic data requested is shown below:

1. Over 65s 14,533
2. Over 75s 6,853
3. Under 5s 5,015
4. Under 16s 16,213
5. Recipients of Long-Term Invalidity Allowance (L.T.I.A.) 3,878 claimants as at Jan 2020
6. Recipients of Short-Term Incapacity Allowance (S.T.I.A.) 789 open claims as at Jan 2020 – note the majority of these are very short term
7. Recipients of Income Support 5,648 households (10,221 participants; Income Support is a household benefit, paid to a claimant in respect of the whole household, so the claimant receives the benefit but the whole household benefits from it)
8. People in receipt of Income Support impairment components 2 and 3
9. People in receipt of the clinical or mobility component.  

There are people who fall into all three categories e.g. personal care level 2 and a mobility and clinical component.

Additionally, multiple people in a household could be receiving impairment components.

• There were 583 people receiving P2 or P3 components (personal care)

• There were 1,434 people receiving either C1 or C2 (clinical)

• There were 994 people receiving either M1 or M2 (mobility)

The data is not collected in a way that can a be directly compared, but approximately 1,960 have either M or C.