Health minister asked to explain £28m budget hole

A scrutiny panel has written an "urgent letter" to Jersey's health minister demanding answers to why the department is overspending.

It comes after the publication of the States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts, which revealed the Health Department overspent by £28m in the 2023-2024 financial year, and is forecast to be in deficit once again the year after.

Deputy Louise Doublet, chair of the Health and Social Security Panel, has formally asked Deputy Tom Binet to explain where the extra spending had gone and what financial oversight there would be.

She is expecting a response by 16 May. The BBC has approached Binet for a comment.

Concerns were raised last week by Jersey's Public Accounts Committee, which questioned why there was a deficit when the health budget had increased by nearly £100m since 2022.

At the time, Minister for Treasury and Resources Deputy Elaine Millar said it was not bad management and that the health overspend was not a problem unique to Jersey.

Deputy Louise Doublet, said, despite understanding there was "significant pressure on spending across government departments", she said money had to be used "appropriately".

She said: "Spending cannot be unlimited and there have been overspends within health for several years now.

"During a recent hearing, the minister told the panel that he would need more funding for his department and may seek to secure funding from the strategic reserve for this."

"The panel will be scrutinising this to be sure that funds are being used appropriately.

"It is crucial that we, and the public, understand what the main factors in these overspends are, how the minister is working to control costs, and how the budget is being future-proofed moving forward."

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