New Guernsey and UK healthcare deal

The UK and Guernsey have agreed a new cross-border healthcare deal from 2023 after an absence of several years.

Channel island Guernsey is part of Great Britain but not part of the UK. Residents of Guernsey and subsidiary islands Alderney and Sark are not automatically entitled to free NHS healthcare in the UK, and UK residents are not entitled to free healthcare if needed when temporarily in these three islands.

Fellow Channel Island, Jersey, has a separate deal with the UK.

A new memorandum of understanding on healthcare arrangements between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (comprising the States of Guernsey, the States of Alderney and the Chief Pleas of Sark) has been agreed.

The arrangement is for the provision of necessary healthcare to eligible persons during their stay in the territory of the other participant. It provides for pre-authorised treatment to eligible persons by a healthcare provider in the UK who have been referred by the applicable referring authority of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, in effect, planned medical tourism from Guernsey to the UK where medical services are not available in the islands.

Assisted conception services, meaning any medical, surgical or obstetric services provided for the purpose of assisting a person to carry a child, are not covered by this arrangement.

A stay means a period not exceeding and not expected to exceed six months. For students, it means the duration of a student’s course of study if this is longer than six months

The Committee for Health and Social Care in Guernsey may refer eligible persons to a healthcare provider in the UK for pre-authorised treatment to be funded by the Bailiwick. The UK will assist the provision of pre-authorised treatment in the UK for Bailiwick eligible persons referred by The Committee for Health and Social Care in Guernsey.

The Committee for Health and Social Care in Guernsey will determine their application process for making referrals and will only refer a Bailiwick eligible person to a healthcare provider in the UK where the treatment cannot be provided or is not appropriate to be provided in the Bailiwick.

The healthcare provider may decline to accept a referral from The Committee for Health and Social Care in Guernsey.

A person accepted for pre-authorised treatment in the UK will have the same access to that treatment, based on clinical priority and subject to any waiting lists for the treatment, as those ordinarily resident in the UK.

No charge will be made for healthcare provided.

If the Bailiwick determines that the necessary healthcare cannot be provided or is not appropriate to be provided in the Bailiwick to a UK eligible person and medical evacuation of that person is required:

• The Bailiwick will arrange and pay for that medical evacuation.
• The Bailiwick will not be liable for the costs of any subsequent healthcare provided to that person in the United Kingdom.
• If the medical evacuation is to a territory or state other than the United Kingdom the Bailiwick will arrange and pay for that medical evacuation and will be liable for the costs of any subsequent necessary healthcare provided to that person in that territory or state until that person is able to return to their state of residence.

 

A medical evacuation will not be provided by the Bailiwick to a UK eligible person where the Bailiwick determines that the necessary healthcare can be provided in the Bailiwick. The Bailiwick will determine the destination for any medical evacuation.

Where a Bailiwick eligible person has paid any sum for necessary healthcare, the sum will be repaid by the United Kingdom to that person on application to the United Kingdom, save for any co-payments or other charges for which the person is liable.

Where a UK eligible person has paid any sum to a recognised provider for necessary healthcare, the sum will be repaid by the Bailiwick to that person on application to the Bailiwick, save for any co-payments or other charges for which the person is liable.

Each participant will determine its own application process for such repayment. The treating territory will furnish the other participant with all necessary information for these purposes, promptly upon request.

This arrangement will come into operation on 1 January 2023 and either participant may terminate this arrangement by giving not less than 12 months’ notice in writing to the other participant, or such shorter notice period as the participants might otherwise agree.

The participants will conduct a review of this arrangement including the operations under it at least every 5 years.

Healthcare for which advance agreement must be obtained cover:

• Kidney dialysis.
• Oxygen therapy.
• Special asthma treatment.
• Echocardiography in the case of autoimmune diseases.

 

Reimbursement for pre-authorised treatment will be on the basis of the actual cost of the treatment.