The government of the United Kingdom has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will benefit the residents of the country visiting the Bailiwick of Guernsey from free necessary healthcare, and vice versa.
Attendance at accident and emergencies will be included in the new arrangement, while those with an existing condition will be able to receive necessary treatment such as kidney dialysis or chemotherapy. A small number of charges might apply for the services that people pay for in the United Kingdom routinely, like prescriptions.
The new reciprocal healthcare eligibility card, called the GHIC, will be the main eligibility document that is used to access healthcare in Guernsey. People planning to travel to Guernsey next year are being encouraged to take their GHIC.
For now, around 200,000 residents of the United Kingdom visit the Bailiwick of Guernsey every year, and for now they are individually liable for the full cost of medically necessary or emergency care while visiting the region.
Maria Caulfield, minister of State for Health, said that post Brexit they are focused on delivering deals that mean United Kingdom travellers can use their GHIC in a greater number of places, which includes in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, where travellers from the UK will receive free healthcare during their visit.
