In a small island, the early signs of change are rarely found in official reports. They are seen first in conversations, in queues, and in the quiet adjustments people make to get through the week. A recent article in the JEP by Carl Walker captures this vividly. Reflecting on the rise in demand at the St Vincent de Paul food…
Charging some Islanders for delayed discharge from hospital In a small island, the pressure on hospital beds is never abstract. When a bed is unavailable, it is not a statistic – it is someone waiting in pain, or care delayed. That is why the Health Minister’s decision to introduce charges of around £500 each day for patients who choose to…
The Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet is right to pursue a Health and Care Partnership Board for Jersey’s health and care system. But he should not be surprised by the muted response from some stakeholders. If anything, that reaction tells us something important: not that the idea is wrong, but that experience has made people cautious. In health and care,…
Why Growing Our Own Clinicians Is Jersey’s Best Retention Policy First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-12-12 For years, Jersey’s health service has been locked in the same cycle: too few permanent staff, too many agency contracts, and a growing sense of frustration that we are paying more but getting less. We talk about recruitment drives and overseas campaigns,…
Funding Health must deliver results – not just sustain the status quo First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-12-04 Deputy Tom Binet is right to argue for more health funding in the 2026 Budget. Islanders see the pressures every day – longer waiting lists, rising costs, and staff stretched thin. But every new pound must buy visible results, not…
Is the new health board start of something more coherent – or a risk of something more confused? First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-10-08 Later this year, the States Assembly will debate a proposition from Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet to refresh and expand the governance of our Island’s health and care system. Known as P.52/2025, it seeks…
Seeing the Future of Care: Why Jersey Should Embrace Predictive Analytics First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-10-01 Introduction The Health Minister, Deputy Binet, is facing a busy autumn. The Budget Debate in September will see him asking for significantly more resources for baseline funding, preventative healthcare and digital development. He is also taking forward new governance arrangements with…
Four Warning Signs: A Cautionary Note on Jersey’s Health System First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-08-14 There are patterns in public service failure. They are not always obvious from inside the system, but they are often visible in retrospect – and sometimes even in advance. Over the past two decades, organisations such as the King’s Fund, the Nuffield…
The case for a medical school is compelling – it would strengthen healthcare and create skill jobs First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-07-21 In his insightful JEP article of 25 June, Peter Body posed a compelling question: could Jersey develop its own university as a foundation for a knowledge-based economy? Drawing on examples from other small jurisdictions, he…
Smartphones, Children, and the Attention Economy: A Call for Deeper Vigilance and Vision First published in the Jersey Evening Post 2025-07-16 This autumn, smartphones will be banned in Jersey schools for learners up to aged 16. The Education Minister’s decision is a bold and welcome step, responding to growing evidence of harm to young people’s attention, wellbeing, and social development.…