Channel Island Treatment no Longer Free

From 1st April 2009 British people travelling in the Channel Islands will no longer receive free medical treatment. The change has come about as the government has ended the 33 year old reciprocal agreement between the islands and the UK.

The Department of Health is warning travellers to take out adequate travel insurance if they are visiting the islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark and Herm. Alternatively, people who have medical insurance with Norwich Union Healthcare may be covered as their hig-end policy includes health cover abroad.

Travellers to the Channel Islands have always been advised to have travel insurance however as some services have never been free for UK visitors. For example, prescriptions, Accident and Emergency hospital treatment and GP and dental services need to be paid for by UK citizens and all medical treatment was exempt in Sark.

European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) cannot be used either as the Channel Islands are Crown Dependencies of the UK and outside the European Union. The islands have their own health care system which runs independently outside of the NHS.

Visitors from the islands to the UK will also be responsible for paying for their own treatment and are advised to take out adequate health insurance.