Nearly £4 million spent on Covid-19 related costs in Guernsey

Significant savings are set to be made through processing tests on-island instead of sending them to the UK. Credit: PA Images

Nearly £4 million has been spent on coronavirus related costs during the first six months of the year by Guernsey's Committee for Health and Social care.

A report shows more than £3 million was spent across the following categories:

  • £1 million: PPE – including 6 months forward stock

  • £200,000: compounds for testing equipment

  • £1 million: support to Primary Care – including the Ambulance Service

  • £645,000: Covid-19 essential pay costs

  • £200,000: emergency works by the HSC Estates Team

£715,000

of unavoidable costs have been incurred

£526,000

of these costs relate to test equipment for the pathology lab

£3.7 million

The ongoing costs of increasing testing capacity planned for phase 5c

Significant savings are set to be made through processing tests on-island instead of sending them to the UK.

A spend of nearly £4m on COVID-19 related costs for HSC is a considerable amount – particularly when it was unforeseen and, therefore, not budgeted. However, it is important to note that purchasing of the testing equipment which enabled testing on Island reduced the costs of molecular (swab) testing for SARS-CoV-19.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, Guernsey's President of the Committee for Health and Social Care

Aside from unexpected costs, the Committee says it is expecting a general underspend of its allocated budget for 2020.