Children's GP appointments funding agreed by States

The vote has agreed funding for all children to receive free GP appointments

Children in Jersey are set to get free GP appointments after the States voted for funding.

Members agreed to earmark £800,000 to subsidise visits for anyone under the age of 18, as part of the 2023 budget.

Currently appointments are only free for children living in income support households.

The health minister warned if the move led to an increase in appointments it could lead to GPs becoming overwhelmed.

In the vote 24 members supported a call for the funding from Reform Jersey Deputy Carina Alves, while 22 were against.

Ms Alves told the States: "Children do not have their own autonomous access to income regardless of their family's economic background.

"All children deserve this, and all children are vulnerable."However Deputy Karen Wilson, health minister said: "We simply do not have any sense of what the demand might be until we do the proper work on this.

"One of the aspects that we do need to be mindful of, is that if that demand increases GPs will be overwhelmed, and in actual fact children will not have access in a planned and organised way."

No timeframe has been announced for the changes.

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