Free GP practice wants other doctors to follow

A Jersey GP surgery offering free appointments to patients wants others to follow the business model.

Windsor Medical Practice believes free visits will be popular with patients and has offered an extra 1,000 places at its surgery.

It said it made the change because of people's financial pressures, and to make healthcare more available.

Dr Jane Holloran, GP at Windsor Medical Practice, said the government subsidy of £50.28 per visit was enough money to "balance the books".

Dr Holloran said: "We want to basically encourage this model throughout Jersey and we would like other people to take on board the idea of ensuring that everybody in Jersey can access a GP appointment without worrying about their finances and whether they can afford it."

Dr Holloran said the practice may look to procure other GP surgeries in future to expand their services if there was high demand for free appointments.

The practice has not asked for extra funding from the government and "doesn't expect it", said Dr Holloran.

She said the increase in government support in 2024 made it easier for the practice, which offers patients quarterly health checks, to run a free service.

Dr Holloran said: "We're living in a world of financial instability where cost of living is likely to increase, particularly with Trump's [tariffs] shenanigans.

"So our patients, we don't want them to choose between eating, heating or their healthcare."

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