A leading insurance manager hopes the Island can negotiate a healthcare settlement with the UK before a key agreement is abandoned.

Gordon Brown’s government has unilaterally pulled out of the reciprocal healthcare agreement, meaning people may have to pay for hospital treatment in future – or take out health insurance for trips across.

But David Stacey of Tower Insurance says there’s still some time until the agreement is completely abandoned.

And he says the announcement may just be a way of bringing the two governments to the negotiating table (audio file attached):