‘Urgent Treatment Only’

Manx Care has confirmed that all non-urgent procedures and appointments off the island has been halted until the end of March due to mounting financial pressure.

The news comes amid fresh reports of appointments being postponed and cancelled in recent days.

Late on Wednesday, former Health Minister Lawrie Hooper shared details of an embargoed press release, issued by Manx Care on January 15 but later withdrawn, which outlined proposed cost-cutting measures.

The health service is facing a projected £15 million overspend by the end of the financial year.

Current Health Minister Claire Christian was expected to answer an urgent question about the cuts in the House of Keys this week but was absent due to illness.

In a new statement issued on Thursday afternoon, Manx Care said it is ‘continuing to face significant financial pressures due to ongoing expenditure challenges.

‘Two key factors driving this situation are off-island referrals, appointments, and procedures, as well as increasing costs associated with delivering clinical and social care services.’

The organisation confirmed that the overspend has risen by £5 million in the past three months, prompting the need for extensive measures.

‘There is a clear requirement from government to stay within our agreed financial envelope, and consequently, Manx Care has to further increase efforts to reduce costs for the remainder of the financial year,’ the statement added.

‘These actions were agreed by the Manx Care Board in early January, and we have been working on implementation plans and discussing the details with the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSC) prior to formal announcement.’

Measures include a temporary reduction in elective care both on and off the island.

Manx Care has also asked NHS providers in Liverpool and Manchester to pause non-urgent procedures until March 31, 2025. This applies to routine, new, and follow-up appointments, operations, and investigations.

However, patients needing cancer or other clinically urgent treatment will be prioritised, the arms-length healthcare provider confirmed.

Manx Care said that decisions on urgency will be made by clinicians.

‘We are also asking NHS providers to review individual patient pathways with a view to discharging them from specialist care, converting appointments to virtual consultations, or repatriating care back to Manx Care teams,’ the Manx Care statement said.

‘Patients whose off-island operations have been cancelled will be rescheduled after March 31. If you are contacted by an NHS provider about postponement, please inform the Patient Transfer Office to cancel your travel arrangements’

Although Manx Care has secured extra funding from Treasury to reduce on-island cancellations, it says disruption remain likely.

‘We will seek to rearrange any disrupted procedures as early as possible from April 2025 and offer readmission dates at the time,’ the statement added.

‘It is important to state that these actions are not being taken in response to the recently announced settlement of the pay dispute with the British Medical Association (BMA).’

The organisation now plans to conduct a full clinical review of both on-and off-island waiting lists to ensure the most appropriate care pathways are in place.

Future plans include launching an off island transfers team and a more cost-effective commissioning framework.

‘We understand the difficulties these changes will bring for the community and our workforce,’ the statement concluded.

‘These decisions have not been made lightly, and we recognise the potential impact on waiting lists.

‘Nonetheless, we are committed to minimising disruption wherever possible.

‘Ensuring the sustainability of our services within the agreed financial envelope is a vital objective at this critical time.”

For questions or concerns, contact MCALS at: mcals@gov.im or call 01624 642642.