In brief: Jersey’s Connecting Health programme, intended to give healthcare professionals a unified view of patient records, is running behind schedule due to staffing shortages and recruitment difficulties. Health Minister Tom Binet has confirmed the earliest a technology contract could be signed is February 2027, with no certainty that any system capabilities will be live in the first half of that year.
A Programme Behind the Curve
The Connecting Health programme was designed to transform how medical information is shared between healthcare providers in Jersey. Its centrepiece, a Single Patient Record, would allow authorised professionals to view data held across different health and care services, covering allergies, medicines, diagnoses, key test results and selected discharge information. In theory, a joined-up system like this is exactly the kind of sensible, practical reform that saves time, reduces errors and, ultimately, saves lives. In practice, Bailiwick Express reports, it has hit the familiar wall of government delivery: not enough people to do the work.
Health Minister Tom Binet confirmed that the programme has been delayed by recruitment restrictions, staffing shortages and insufficient capacity within the government’s central IT department. The timetable for selecting a technology partner has been extended to allow a final review, additional time for bids and demonstrations, and thorough evaluation. Efforts to widen engagement with Jersey technology companies also contributed to the delays.
The Numbers: Underspend Tells Its Own Story
Senator Binet was at pains to note that the programme remains within its approved 2026 funding envelope. Forecast spending stands at £5.19 million against a budget of £7.86 million this year, an anticipated underspend of £2.67 million. On the surface, coming in under budget sounds like fiscal prudence. In reality, a £2.67 million underspend on a programme that is simultaneously behind schedule is less a sign of careful stewardship and more a sign that the work simply is not getting done. You cannot spend money on staff you cannot recruit or on a technology contract you have not yet signed.
The earliest point for signing a contract with a technology partner is now February 2027. After that, implementation and technical checks will be required before any capabilities are introduced to users. Senator Binet was candid about the uncertainty ahead: “It is too soon to confirm whether any platform capability releases will occur during the first half of 2027.”
What Comes Next
The minister clarified that an earlier reference to “NHS-aligned infrastructure in the first half of 2027” should be understood as the phased introduction of foundations for the system, not the completion of the full Single Patient Record. The immediate objective is more modest: connecting to the NHS Health and Social Care Network during 2026, which would enable early benefits from shared prescription data.
When the first Single Patient Record release does eventually arrive, it is intended to be view-only and introduced gradually. To address the delays, plans include recruiting temporary specialist staff and progressing work on data-sharing arrangements and system integration alongside the procurement process.
Source: Bailiwick Express
