Healthcare in Guernsey

No on both counts. Guernsey is not part of the NHS, and residents pay for primary care such as GP appointments, A&E and ambulances. Referred specialist care is handled differently, through the scheme described below.

Private medical insurance is not compulsory. According to Locate Guernsey's first month guide, some residents buy top-up cover for the elements patients pay for themselves. Employer cover varies, so check exclusions, whether cover starts from arrival, and how existing conditions are treated.

All GP practices in Guernsey are private businesses. They are not run by the Committee for Health and Social Care. There are three GP partnerships on the island, Island Health, Queen's Road Medical Practice and the Healthcare Group, operating across nine surgeries.

Every adult appointment is charged. As historical examples reported in 2025, Island Health charged £72 for a daytime adult appointment, Queen's Road £79 reduced to £70.50 if paid at the time, and the Healthcare Group £77 reduced to £69 if paid at the time. These are not current prices: fees change, so check the practices' own published price lists before you budget. Prices differ again for home visits, telephone consultations and out of hours.

The August 2026 review recorded a £12 States contribution towards an eligible primary care GP appointment. Check current eligibility and charges with the practice rather than relying on this historical figure.

The August 2026 review recorded resident children's charges of £25 for a GP appointment and £15 for a practice nurse up to their eighteenth birthday. Confirm current charges and eligibility directly.

Charges can matter to a household budget, especially with recurring care needs. Ask for current prices and discuss any concerns about access with the relevant practice or service.

Appointment availability varies with the practice and care you need. Check how to arrange routine and urgent care rather than assuming a waiting time.

Once your GP refers you, the picture changes. Secondary care is provided by the Medical Specialist Group, a private practice of consultants who deliver most specialist and surgical services at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Residents contribute to a Specialist Health Insurance Scheme through income-related social security contributions. Where you are referred by a GP or consultant, the States covers the cost of that referred treatment and hospitalisation, including care delivered in the UK where that is necessary.

That is the broad shape, not a guarantee. Registering with Social Security does not by itself entitle you to every treatment, and eligibility depends on your contributions and circumstances. Confirm your own position with Social Security rather than assuming.

A&E treatment is charged. So is the ambulance. The service is run by St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, a charity, and many islanders take out an annual subscription so that call-outs are covered however many times they are needed.

Dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropody are private and charged.

A Reciprocal Health Arrangement between the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the UK came into force on 1 January 2023. It allows residents of either jurisdiction to receive medically necessary healthcare free of charge when visiting the other, where the treatment cannot wait until they get home.

Medically necessary care may include management of an existing condition during a temporary stay, and some care needs advance arrangements, so check before you travel. Travelling specifically for treatment is outside the visitor entitlement, while authorised referrals have separate rules. Private treatment and repatriation are not covered as a blanket entitlement. Travel insurance is still sensible.

Register with a GP practice. Register with Social Security and confirm your eligibility and any cover needed from arrival. For everything else in the early weeks, see your first 90 days. Ask your employer whether private medical insurance is part of the package, and check what any offered cover actually includes. Consider the St John ambulance subscription.