Health Minister Tom Binet has been justifying his plans in the States Assembly to create a new 'stand-alone' health department, 'separate from, but integrated' within Jersey's government.

In the foreword to his department's annual plan for 2025,  the Minister outlines that he wants to create a unified 'Jersey Health System', overseeing all health services providers including HCS, charities, dentists and care homes. 

This would be run by an appointed Chief Executive, with support from a Chief Nurse Advisor and Chief Pharmaceutical Advisor.

A partnership board is also involved in new plans, with the idea being that members from different areas of the health sector will be able to contribute equally to decision-making. 

The money to run the independent health department would come from a single, central fund. 

Deputy Binet said his vision involves creating a 'new stand-alone health department, separated from, but connected to government' and while he wants to build an 'autonomous' service, collaboration with the government will be 'essential'.

He hopes this plan will go some way to repairing relationships between healthcare departments:

"Whilst pockets of absolute excellence exist, moves to draw various health functions into central government, fractious relationships between various health bodies (primary, charitable and HCS etc...) and divisions between management and clinicians within HCS all suggest the need for a more collaborative style of leadership and a suitable structure within which all health sectors can work together efficiently."

In the States Assembly yesterday (21 January) deputies Jonathan Renouf, Louise Doublet and Inna Gardiner asked the Health Minister to clarify what he means by a 'separate' but 'connected to government’ health service. 

The Minister responded: "It's an internal framework, separated from government but built within the broader government framework. This is simply what I explained at all of the consultations... we need health to work as a cohesive whole, collaboratively, as separated as we can be from government with everything running through a central system."

When questioned whether health staff would still be government employees, Deputy Binet responded: "With the assumption that it would sit within the broader government system, then the answer is a firm yes."

Deputies questioning Health Minister Tom Binet

The Health Minister told members he hopes this proposed 'stand-alone' service would improve hospital efficiency:

"In my view, and in the view of many health professionals, the health service had been overcentralised and this had had an adverse effect on efficiency and the delivery of services. As a consequence, I've stressed repeatedly the importance of securing a high degree of autonomy for health, so it's able to have a more direct control of its central functions.

"Bearing in mind that the service employs about 30% of States staff and accounts for £300 million worth of expenditure, and in 2023, under the centralised system, it required a financial review by a major accountancy firm that cost half a million pounds, I don't think my actions are unreasonable."

Facing further questions, the Minister became increasingly brusque in his response, telling colleagues that all the information has previously been shared with them at consultations and a presentation in early December.

"I have approached this from an objective point of you, as to what I would do if it was a business given to me to manage, and I make no apology for the fact.

"I make so apology for any of it."

"It is my department.  I care deeply about what I am doing.  I think I am doing a good job.  I think I have made it very, very clear. In all the consultation processes that we have had, not one person has failed to understand the intentions here at all. I rest my case."