Amount spent on travel for those accompanying patients to the UK

WQ.204/2025

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER CENTRAL

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 12th MAY 2025

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 19th MAY 2025

Question

"Further to the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment (as amended) to the Government Plan 2023-2026 (P.97-2022 Amd.(15).Amd), will the Minister advise the total amount spent in each of 2023 and 2024 for the provision of travel for individuals accompanying patients travelling out of the Island to receive treatment arranged by the Health and Community Services Department, and further detail –

1. the amount spent pursuant to the Government Plan amendment (in excess of the usual funding);
2. a breakdown of the funding per type of spend for each year, but not limited to include flights, trains and taxis;
3. the amount provided to those who qualified under the Patient Travel and Related Cost Policy categories, broken down by which of the criteria they met;
4. the amount provided to those who fell outside of the policy; and
5. any spend on accommodation for the periods, broken down by whether or not they met the policy criteria?"

Answer

1. the amount spent pursuant to the Government Plan amendment (in excess of the usual funding);

Sir, please note that the costs below are the gross costs incurred by HCJ for escort travel costs. Costs for 2022 have been included to provide an indicative baseline of cost prior to the Government Plan amendment. 2020 and 2021 data has not been included, as it is not seen to be representative due to the impact of the pandemic.

2. a breakdown of the funding per type of spend for each year, but not limited to include flights, trains and taxis;

3. the amount provided to those who qualified under the Patient Travel and Related Cost Policy categories, broken down by which of the criteria they met;

*We are not able to advise which criteria of the Policy the escort reimbursement applies to, which is why it is shown separately. Sir, please note that Escort Reimbursements' include all escort rail costs, as the Travel Office do not book train tickets.

4. the amount provided to those who fell outside of the policy; and

Sir, the figures provided above in the answer to question C include costs where travel costs have been approved via the appeals process. It has not been possible to separately identify these costs within the time- frame.

5. any spend on accommodation for the periods, broken down by whether or not they met the policy criteria?"

Sir, this only occurs in exceptional circumstances and it has not been possible to separately identify these within the time-frame.

Supplementary information

Sir, please find below a table showing the total budget and actual spend for HCJ's off-island patient travel and accommodation over the last four years. The actual spend shown below includes all elective patient and escort accommodation and travel costs. These costs do not include the emergency medical evacuation transport service.