Health needs £8m. more just to maintain services

There is no point in getting good information unless the leaders (Politian’s) grab the nettle and bring accountability and efficiency to spending the taxpayers money. This goes hand in hand with good governance.
Mr Swinson’s report was researched and compiled against a background of promised States economies and cost-savings. Those promised savings are, in fact, part of the very foundation of the plan to mitigate the
effects of forecast shortfalls in revenue in coming years.

Sadly, it is hard to appreciate how effective savings programmes can be followed through if financial controls are so fuzzy that no one really understands fully which funds are being applied to which purposes

Mr Swinson has spoken and attention must now be paid to what he has said. States departments, and in particular their senior staff, clearly have a role to play in tightening up deficient financial control. It is, however, to States Members, and particularly the Council of Ministers, that we must look for the firm guiding hand which will be necessary if the
impression of ruthless efficiency which they are so eager to project is to be
transformed from fantasy into fact

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/07/06/controls-on-states-spending/

Boatyboy.

Thistle.......150 pounds is a lot of money for an ambulance but my point is other countries
still pay much more .... a helicopter ambulance in Austria will cost thousands of pounds even though we pay double for our heath care.....You already have told us that you were brought back to life....How can you put a price on that? Health care in Guerney is excellent and the doctors and staff work often long and hard hours.....show a little good will......................

alpbach1, the issue is that islanders pay taxes to a central pot, out of this pot services including health are taking thier cut.

You say other countries, we all know about America if thats what you mean but other countries is a broad statement, a generalisation.

Prove in figures and facts from other countries that Guernsey tax payers and the budget for the hospital is poor per head of population, while the efficency in the hospital spending is professional and the best that they can do, otherwise all you are giving us is hearsay.

Boatyboy.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_hea_car_fun_tot_per_cap-care-funding-total-per-capita

At the start I said ''Google''..above is for people who can't understand this simple task.

etc..etc..or do you want more 'hearsay' boatyboy

"Calm down dear, it's only a thread........."

alpbach all i was aying is the cost of healthcare on the islands is getting out of hand.yes i am grateful to the doctors who saved my life and always will be.there are people living here who cant afford to go and see a doctor.even pensioners unless on supp benefit with less than £3000 in the bank have to pay for gp services.

Thistle.....I agree with you but it is very expensive everywhere...Why don't people take out private insurance....My parents always had a private health insurance to help pay for the medical bills.........I also have a few private insurances...for example my son needs an extra insurance when he goes ski training because the local kids ski a lot faster and harder than the normal skiers often off piste and in virgin deep snow..the insurance covers helicopter ambulance..search and rescue etc........we also have an excellent health care in Austria but without extra insurance I could not afford the bills .........

When I worked, I and (late) hubby were insured as part of my salary package! He died and I decided to give up work and got in touch with BUPA (the banks insurers) to enquire about me keeping on paying the insurance and was quoted (in 2002) £1,500 + p.a. and they told me that once I 'hit' the magic 65 years of age it would be subject to a price hike + there woukd be a lot more exclusions....so when I need it, the cost becomes prohibitive!....I just pay up and hope it is bad enough to be referred to the specialist so I don't have to pay!!! But I am grateful for my meds being free once I've paid for the perscription :)

in my case i couldnt afford the premiums for health insurance.i wish i could .i will only go to the docs as a last resort now.

BUPA is very expensive.....there are cheaper ones...........but it is still cheaper than smoking!...

dont smoke either alpbach gave up 3 years and 4 months ago

my point is you used to have the money for the smokes!
20 a day @5quid is 1825 pounds in one year..( I also quit 3 years ago so I'm not preaching) :space 3:

couldnt afford to smoke now even if i wanted to which i dont.could afford to pay doctors bills as well back then.

HSSD gets the largest share of States money to spend, around a hundred million pounds this year.

But the funding is unlikely to be enough in 2010 due to medical inflation, the cost of providing new services and the use of locums.

The Department has sent a letter to all staff telling them a review is taking place looking at ways to save money.

The Health and Social Services Minister Deputy Hunter Adam says he wants the department to look at cutting costs, but jobs are safe for now.

Thanks for some web sites to look at Alpbach1. Your argument, if I have this right ? is that Guernseys tax payers need to pay more if they want better medical treatment. My position is that more money does not mean better treatment but can mean more bad practice, more waste, and more staff to help the staff who help the staff.

Now the figures. Very clever Mr Hospital hideaway boss, he knows all about the balance sheet as do a other people in dark corridors but we won't, they have lumped two very expensive large departments together as you probably know.

They are smart give them that much.

Health and Social Services Department £86,782,148 ( two departments)

Adult Services ( Means what exactly? )

Premises
Staff
Supplies and services Consultants fees
Contracted-out work
Grants Less Less operating income

Total spent £41,286,938

http://www.gov.gg/ccm/policy-and-hr/billets--resolutions/2008/billet-dtat---ix-2008-june-states-accounts-2007.en

These of course mean nothing. The Guernsey Public Services department accounts on the other hand, are clear and understandable as they should be.

I am afaid without this information we will have to agree to disagree. One thing is for sure. For these accounts to be meaningful they need to be completely split. Otherwise its just meaningless to anyone. .

When politicians say they need more money for health, just ask them to check the accounts. I suggest politicians reading this will not trust second hand information. Transparent accounts will give a much better picture and allow clearer comparisons. Jerseys accounting is being dragged screaming into the 21st century and giving civil servants sleepless nights.


BB

Life prolonging cancer drugs to be banned because they cost too much


By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:35 AM on 05th March 2009

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Death sentence: Patients are to be denied life prolonging cancer drugs because they cost too much
Thousands of patients with terminal cancer were dealt a blow last night
after a decision was made to deny them life prolonging drugs.
The
Government's rationing body said two drugs for advanced breast cancer
and a rare form of stomach cancer were too expensive for the NHS.
The
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is expected to
confirm guidance in the next few weeks that will effectively ban their
use.
The move comes despite a pledge by Nice to be more
flexible in giving life-extending drugs to terminally-ill cancer
patients after a public outcry last year over 'death sentence'
decisions. Leading campaigners last night said Nice had failed
the 'acid test' of whether it really intended to give new priority to
people with just a few months to live.
One drug, Lapatinib,
can halve the speed of growth of breast cancer in one in five women
with an aggressive form of the disease.
Dr Gillian Leng,
Nice deputy chief executive, said 'The committee concluded that
Lapatinib is not a cost-effective use of NHS resources when compared
with current treatment.'
Up to 1,500 stomach cancer patients also face a ban on Sutent – the only drug that can extend their lives.
Draft guidance by Nice said the drug
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1159506/Life-prolonging-cancer-drugs-banned-cost-much.html#ixzz0LXr9wdIH


This is my point...without extra money half the health care!

I.M.O. halve the amount of administrators and/or pen pushers - and the funds would be there.....it is this kind of waste that causes drugs to be deemed too expensive! the same applies over here.........