Call for healthcare on arrival in Jersey for overseas staff

Jersey Care Federation said overseas carers were increasingly becoming an essential part of Jersey's healthcare provision

A group representing the care industry is calling for overseas workers to get access to healthcare on arrival.

Jersey Care Federation (JCF) said staff should not have to wait six months for access to healthcare.

JCF chair Cheryl Kenealy said it was "simply the right thing to do" to attract overseas workers.

The Government of Jersey said it was considering a recommendation for employers to insure work permit holders for the first six months.

'Essential part'

Ms Kenealy was responding to a review of the Work Permit Policy (WPP), which regulates the employment of non-local workers in Jersey.

The Work Permit Holder Welfare Review Panel's report included 18 recommendations to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of the WPP.

The JCF welcomed recommendations to provide clearer information for prospective workers, streamline the application and renewal processes, support employers with compliance and guidance, consult with stakeholders and implement key policy changes.

Ms Kenealy said overseas carers were "increasingly becoming an essential part of Jersey's healthcare provision" and the provision of healthcare on arrival for them was "simply the right thing to do", and without it made "Jersey uncompetitive in a global marketplace".

The JCF also suggested making the WPP more flexible and tailored to different sectors.

It said Jersey had an advantage as a worker destination due to its size and relative independence, which could enable it to have uniquely competitive policies.

Finally, the JCF asked for more clarity on the new government accommodation service that was announced earlier this year to aid key worker recruitment.

The JCF questioned whether this service would be available for private and charity sector health workers, or only for government health workers.

'Committed'

Deputy Elaine Millar, Social Security Minister, said ministers were "committed" to improvements to information available around rights to healthcare for work permit holders in Jersey.

She said emergency health care was "free to all from day one" and all health services were available to residents as soon as they arrived in Jersey but were not subsidised for the first six months.

She said ministers would consider and respond to the recommendation from the scrutiny review that employers of work permit holders should provide workers with insurance for this initial period. She added: "The care sector has benefited from extra immigration routes being made available to experienced carers over the last year and ministers are encouraged that care agencies have taken up this opportunity to bring in additional staff."

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