Healthcare in Jersey

Treatment in the Emergency Department of the Hospital is free. But for the first 6 months when you first move to Jersey, you will have to pay for most healthcare provisions (unless you have a Licenced permission). This includes:

• • visits to the doctor or GP
  • non-emergency treatment at the hospital (unless you are ordinarily resident and Licenced)
  • other care, treatment and related costs including travel costs

You should be aware that there is a charge for GP visits even when you are ordinarily resident on the Island. But the majority of prescriptions are free.

Our dental service is also private. A full range of general and aesthetic dental care is available.

If you are new to the Island it is important to register with the Customer and Local Services department as soon as you arrive.

Once you have been on the Island for 6 months, and have paid any due Social Security contributions, you can request a Social Security Health Card. You won’t be able to claim your card immediately, but the first 6 months will be counted from when you first register. You will need a health card to get a subsidy when you visit your GP, and to get free prescriptions.
(Please note that French nationals are eligible for a health card straight away due to an existing agreement between Jersey and France.)

Children do not need their own health card. If you have a baby, take their birth certificate to Customer and Local Services to receive a Social Security number and a Doctor’s registration form. You will need these to take your child to a GP and to pick up prescriptions on their behalf.

Emergency and non-emergency treatment at the Jersey General Hospital is free when you are ordinarily resident on the Island or if you hold a Licenced Permission. But some non-emergency services may incur a charge for example X-rays.

The hospital provides a full range of services, with reciprocal health agreements covering specific treatments that require care at specialist UK units.

The Island has extensive private healthcare and good relationships with the main medical insurance companies.

All immediate members of your family that move with you will need their own health card.

If you are ordinarily resident and Licenced, your eligibility for free hospital-based treatment is extended to your ordinarily resident spouse/registered civil partner, providing that they:

• • ordinarily live with you AND
  • are to remain living in Jersey (evidence of intent to remain resident in Jersey is required) AND
  • do not ordinarily live elsewhere.

Also, if you are ordinarily resident and Licenced, your eligibility for free hospital-based treatment is extended to your ordinarily resident dependent child/children, providing they are:

• • under the age of 18, or under 21 but still in full-time education
  • ordinarily live with you AND
  • are to remain living in Jersey (evidence of intent to remain resident in Jersey is required) AND
  • do not ordinarily live elsewhere.

GP (General Practitioner) surgeries are private businesses in Jersey. There is a charge to use them. Fees can vary slightly between surgeries. Additional charges may be added to your bill for some services, such as blood tests and injections.

If you need to visit the GP in the first 6 months after you arrive in Jersey, you will have to pay the full cost. After 6 months and after paying any Social Security contributions that are due, you can apply for a Social Security Health Card. By showing this card to your GP’s surgery, you will receive a £20 discount.

Please note, French nationals are eligible for a health card straight away due to an existing agreement between Jersey and France.

If you have not been in Jersey long enough to have a health card (6 months), you will have to pay the full cost of any prescriptions from your GP.

If you have a Social Security Health Card, the majority of GP prescriptions are free, however there are some exceptions.

A list of medications that are free is available from the Social Security Department. Or you can follow the link at the bottom of this page and then select ‘Doctors (GPs) fees, prescriptions and health cards’.

The General Hospital provides a wide range of procedures and treatments that you can access as a private patient. Visit your GP and they will refer you to a hospital consultant.

If you have private medical insurance, you should check with your insurance company that your policy covers Jersey. Or, you can choose to pay for your treatment.

The private patient unit has en-suite rooms with:

• • TVs featuring 200+ channels
  • free WiFi
  • daily consultant visits
  • flexible visiting hours
  • a dedicated nursing team
  • private chefs.

As a private patient, you must be aware of all charges relating to your care. For details of hospital charges, please contact the Private Patient Finance Office on +44(0)1534 444495.

For more information about the private patient service in Jersey and for a list of consultants, please follow the link at the bottom of this page. Go to ‘Hospital Wards and Departments’.

• Further information on Healthcare in Jersey