11/03/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

their European ones are now over. That is all from us. Don't forget

Good evening. Thousands of states there's

Good evening. Thousands of states workers in Jersey could be getting

lower pensions payments than they expected, under plans unveiled

today. The Chief Minister w`nts to change the way pensions are

calculated ` and he wants workers to pay in more. Emma Chambers reports.

Paying for our retirement ydars could get more expensive for people

working in Jersey's public sector. With life expectancy growing, there

won't be enough money in thd pension, pot so changes havd to be

made to the pension scheme. The biggest move could be a movd from a

final pension scheme to a c`reer average scheme. Under the proposed

plan, it will be calculated over the average of the entire working life

of a scheme member and that is not the only difference. Contributions

each month will increase from 5 to 8% for employees. For uniformed

services, it will increase to 1 .1%, as they can retire earlier. The

States have increased their contributions from 13.5% to 16, and

20.2%. The Chief Minister s`ys the changes are necessary as thd current

scheme is outdated. If we kdpt with the current scheme, we can't afford

it. The way people work is changing. There is unfairness in the current

scheme. People on lower wagds are subsidising people on higher wages.

It is no longer right to have this kind of option. Experts say most

companies in the UK and Guernsey have already made this change. It

has probably been unsustain`ble because of the amount of funds going

in versus what you are getthng back. If we don't make this changd, the

people in it will reach rethrement age and there will be a defhcit The

change has to happen. It has got to be embraced. The unions agrde and

they have worked on the plans for the past two years and will ask

their members to vote on wh`t they believe is a good offer. I `m

hopeful people will see the need for change. There will be some who are

not keen and we still have hssues that we have to sort out within the

final offer. I am hopeful pdople realise that this is quite ` good

deal and the best that we c`n achieve through negotiation and I am

hopeful they will vote to accept. If they accept this, this changes will

come in next year. More than half of patients who went

to A last year in Jersey had not had an accident and were not an

emergency. In 2013, the Emergency Department at Jersey's General

Hospital treated 37,554 casds, covering patients of all agds. A

snapshot review found that `lmost 50% of people who attended hn one

week could have been treated by a GP. Edward Sault reports. Btsy

around the clock andbusy evdry day, but not everyone who turns tp here

is seriously ill. Health bosses believe it is because the doctors

here at the emergency department are free to see, whereas GP services

have to be paid for by the patient. A third to a half can be de`lt with

a general practitioner. There is an incentive for them to come here but

we are trying to resolve thhs issue. The Health Minister says shd is

aware of the problem and is working with GPs to find a solution. It does

impact but we have to be ge`red up to take whatever comes throtgh those

doors. We can't turn anybodx away. Isn't the simple answer to cut the

cost of going to the GP? It is one of the things that we are looking

at. The body that I represent on behalf of GPs is in discusshon with

the Jersey Consumer Council and we are concerned about access. We need

to make sure that if we don't see people at the right time and with

the cost of the island as a whole will escalate and that would be a

calamitous affair. It is not just here. In England, where seehng your

doctor is free, a fifth of people there admit heading to the @

department instead of seeing their own GP. In London, the NHS have

launched this campaign. Each one of these yellow men is part of a

message. Minor health probldms can be dealt with at the GP or `t a

pharmacy. Some of the probldms that staff here say they have sedn range

from islanders turning up after suffering from earache for ` day,

having verrucas, , having a hangover, to simply wanting a sick

note. Health bosses say even though people know it is for acciddnt and

emergency, there is still a number of people turning up with

non`emergency problems. Dirdctors of the former Channel Islands Stock

Exchange have spoken out for the first time about allegations in a

recent national magazine. Ddputy Peter Harwood had to step down as

Guernsey's Chief Minister when his previous role at the companx was

called into question, as he was also working for the Guernsey Financial

Services Commission which w`s investigating it. In a statdment,

CISX directors, including Ddputy Harwood, said:

Meanwhile, Guernsey States will elect its new Chief Minister

tomorrow. Deputies Allister Langlois and Jonathan Le Tocq are st`nding in

the election to replace Deptty Peter Harwood in the island's most senior

political role. The specially convened States meeting beghns at

9:30. You can listen live on BBC Radio Guernsey ` and we'll be

Join me then. But for now, here s David Braine with the weathdr.

Goodnight. Good evening. Thd cloud amounts have been tricky with some

of it keeping a school, and the other with temperatures rishng quite

smartly. We will have a misty start tomorrow, then some sunshind, but

not everywhere. Overnight tonight, we will keep a lot of cloud, and it

will eventually become mistx and even for the, with seven Celsius the

minimum temperature. Then it should brighten up after a great start and

close to Guernsey and Alderney, we have a line of cloud that whll keep

things relatively cool at 10 o'clock. Temperatures reachhng 4

Celsius For St Helier. For the rest of this week it is tried, btt the

cloud amounts again, tricky. Cooler on Thursday, with more cloud around

on both Friday and Saturday. In a second, the full UK forecast.

Thomas, good night. `` Thursday. It will brighten up as the

day goes on. Here is the UK forecast.

Plenty of dry weather over the next few days, especially across southern

areas. That is courtesy of high-pressure, keeping the weather

fronts at bay to the north-west It was cold and grey across southern

areas today. Further north, lots of bustling sunshine after a cold

start. The same glens of Scotland are already in Frost, you can see by

the tinge of blue across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of

northern England. In towns and cities, not for of freezing. In

Google areas, -5 in the glens. Low cloud developing, areas of