£28m health shortfall forecast for end of the year

HCS finance lead Obi Hassan said the forecast deficit had been revised from £24.5m

Jersey's health department is likely to have a shortfall of £28m by the end of 2024, a senior health leader has said.

At a meeting of the Health and Community Services (HCS) Advisory Board, the HCS change team finance lead Obi Hassan said this figure was the net result of savings made throughout the year and rising costs.

He said the deficit was “going to require making some really tough decisions”.

This week, the States Assembly has been debating the budget that sets aside an extra £31m for HCS in 2025.

'Extraordinarily important'

In the latest HCS finance report, Mr Hassan said the forecast deficit had been revised from £24.5m after a detailed financial review.

He said things that could cause the deficit to increase were rising costs of social and mental health care, the high cost of specialist care contracts and expensive drugs.

HCS advisory board director, Carolyn Downs, said it was "essential" HCS lives within its means.

"It's extraordinarily important for the credibility of HCS", she said.