Paying for cancer travel 'unfair'

A cancer patient has said rules forcing him to pay for flights from Jersey to the UK for treatment are unfair.
Philip Pallot is angry his same-sex relationship is not recognised by the States, yet both men's incomes are assessed to decide travel funding.
The Heath Department means-tests households to decide whether patients can afford to travel for treatment.
Mike Pollard, Chief Executive of the department, said there were no plans to change this method.
Mr Pallot told BBC Jersey he did not earn enough on his own to take him over the threshold, but when his partner's income is taken into account he does.
'Difficult time'
At the moment, a patient living in a two-person household with no children may receive financial assistance if the combined income is less than £52,000 - this amount is under review by the department.
Mr Pallot said he normally spends anything from £30 to £150 on travel each month.
But he said: "In the last month I've spent the best part of £500 on air fares and even though the States assess me as being in a partnership they won't recognise that partnership, which I feel is grossly unfair."
Responding on the BBC Radio Jersey's Jersey Today programme, Mr Pollard said: "The household is the unit which we would seek to judge as to whether a patient is of significant material wealth to be able to travel at their own costs to the UK.
"We realise that obviously cancer patients are very vulnerable people and obviously to travel to what many would see as a foreign country for treatment and that's a very difficult time.
"We do try in our department to make that as comfortable as possible." (from BBC)

Its seems very unfair to me...

............that is quite frankly a disgrace!!! and I agree totally unfair!

I disagree,why should sick people benefit from free travel ?

Do channel island insurers not build this into medical and sickness insurance?

Id like to hear Pete Burtenshaws view,he always slags of uk and here is another example of channel islanders using uk doctors and facilities

The 'disgrace' was differentiating against same sex partnerships - if they use both partners wages as a guide line then it should not matter which sex the wages come from....

Yes rather odd

Anyone know if insurance policys cover this ?

Not a clue!

But changing the subject - was that Baby Chok MKII in the pictures you had on before?????

No

That was a young baby chok :)

Still waiting :x

I got quite excited then :) it'll come when it's ready to meet the world.....

chok guernsey government pays uk for medical treatments to guernsey patients that are not available on the island. travel is paid for by social security.