Calls for closer health partnership between islands
BBCThere are fresh calls for a Joint Health Authority between Guernsey and Jersey after the States said the move previously had "no political support".
The subject was raised in a written question by Deputy Tom Rylatt, who asked Guernsey's committee for Health and Social Care (HSC) what progress had been made to build on a healthcare alliance struck between the islands in 2024.
He was told the creation of a formal authority had been discussed during the last term of government but "was not supported politically in either Bailiwick".
Deputy Rylatt said that following the election results in Jersey he hoped "a political strategy" between the islands could "deliver better outcomes for patients".
The islands came together in 2024 under the Channel Island Alliance for Health and Social Care with the goal of improving healthcare by boosting "collaboration and partnership".
In the written response last week, the HSC said the two islands had "shared challenges and geographical location", something with Deputy Rylatt agrees with.
"I think being an island of 64,000 people we suffer the the issue of being the size of a small town trying to provide the healthcare service of a small country," he told BBC Radio Guernsey.
"So we should be pursuing any opportunities to work with neighbouring islands if it can deliver better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers."
Deputy Rylatt said he was "disappointed" to receive the opinion of the previous committee, rather than the current one.
"The former committee thought about a joint health authority, so that's something, but I'm going to follow up in the States later this month to really find out what their position is."
He added: "I know I am ready to work with Jersey and I hope that by starting this conversation we could begin looking at whether there is an appetite to have a political strategy."
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