Health committee's £6m overspend 'not out of control'

A £6m overspend by Guernsey's health committee has been defended by its president.

Policy and Resources (P&R) said the extra spending last year was down to a combination of ongoing general demand pressures and specific challenges relating to off-island care.

At a financial update given in the States earlier by P&R, the chief minister said they had "anticipated" the overspend.

Deputy Al Brouard, president of the Committee for Health and Social Care, said: "The budget for [the committee] is not out of control. The pressure on the budget reflects the ongoing and increasing demand for health and social care services."

The committee said this was driven by the demand for new drugs, acute care, better regulation and the Bailiwick's changing demographics.

Figures showed there was a 21% rise in numbers attending the emergency department between 2021 and 2024.

The committee said it was expecting that services will continue to need to expand and require increasing resources.

Brouard added: "The real issue is who pays and what services are provided free at the point of access. I sincerely hope that we don't get to a position where islanders will have few options for their care - demand is going to continue to rise, who pays is the question."

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