Essential Services to Continue Through Strike
A number of services have been deemed as ‘essential’ by the RCN and will remain open as planned.
With nurses set to walk out on Tuesday as they continue to seek a better pay deal, Manx Care has outlined what services will operate throughout the day.
A number of services have been deemed as ‘essential’ by the RCN and will remain open as planned.
These include inpatient services at both Noble’s and Ramsey and District Cottage Hospitals, the Emergency Department at Noble’s Hospital, the Jane Crookall Maternity Unit, the Eric and Marion Scott Oncology Day Unit, in-patient Mental Health services provided at Manannan Court, some community-based services, Dialysis services and Critical Care provision, alongside maintenance of urgent cancer services and emergency surgery cases.
Urgent Care
The Emergency Department (ED) at Noble’s Hospital will continue to operate 24 hours a day, albeit this may be on reduced staffing levels. People should continue to attend the ED for urgent and emergency care as planned, but use an alternative service for advice and treatment for non-urgent matters. Alternatively, they should call 999 for an Ambulance in the event of an emergency or life-threatening situation.
The Minor Injuries and Illnesses Unit (MIU) in Ramsey will close for the day. People who may have used this service should attend an alternative service which is appropriate for their clinical need.
The Mental Health Crisis Team will operate as normal.
Appointments and Services
The Blood Clinic at Ramsey Cottage Hospital will close on Tuesday. However, the Blood Clinic at Noble’s Hospital will operate as planned. There are no blood donation or transfusion services planned on Tuesday.
Around 120 face-to-face outpatient appointments have been cancelled, and patients impacted by this are being contacted in the timeframe already outlined. Some virtual appointments will go ahead as planned. A number of outpatient appointments are unaffected by the strike and will go ahead as planned. If you have a hospital appointment booked for Tuesday and have not been contacted to advise this has been cancelled, please attend as planned.
Endoscopy appointments for patients on the urgent two-week wait pathway for a suspected cancer diagnosis will go ahead. All other Endoscopy appointments have been cancelled.
All other appointments for patients on the urgent two-week wait pathway for a suspected cancer diagnosis will also go ahead. This includes suspected Gynaecological and skin cancers.
All elective theatre sessions have been cancelled. However, there will be some theatre provision for management of urgent, emergency and trauma patients.
Appointments for anyone due to receive oncology treatment at the Eric and Marion Scott Oncology Day Unit, haemodialysis treatment or any other urgent therapy will continue as planned.
The Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service (MCISS) will be open as usual, alongside picking up voicemails on 650735, and will respond to emails sent to MacmillanCancerInformationCent
In-patient services for Manx Care’s Integrated Mental Health Service provided within the Manannan Court facility at Noble’s Hospital will continue as planned. However, some mental health outpatient appointments will be rescheduled including those provided through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The Mental Health Crisis Team will operate as normal.
Maternity appointments will continue to take place on Tuesday, including routine appointments, scans and services provided through the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit at Noble’s. The Jane Crookall Maternity Unit will operate as planned. As usual, if any pregnant woman has any concerns or needs advice, they should not hesitate to contact our Maternity Unit on 650030 where our Midwives will be happy to help.
Children’s Ward services will continue as planned, alongside Paediatric outpatient appointments.
The GUM Clinic at Noble’s Hospital will close on Tuesday. Additionally, the Fertility Clinic and Family Planning services will also close.
Urgent and time-sensitive termination appointments will be maintained as planned.
Clinics and home visits for both adults and children provided by Manx Care’s Community Nursing Team will be cancelled, unless these are deemed as being critical. District Nurses will carry out essential and clinically urgent interventions only. Other non-essential visits will be cancelled.
Critical School Nursing and Health Visiting appointments will also go ahead as planned. Service users and parents will be advised if their visit will be impacted by the strike action.
The Diabetes Centre on the Noble’s Hospital site will maintain its medically-led appointments. However, its Nurse-led clinics will be cancelled.
Therapies outpatient appointments planned for Tuesday will continue as planned.
Diagnostic appointments provided through the Noble’s Hospital Radiology Department and Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital (for example X-Rays, MRI, DEXA and CT scans, and ultrasound) will continue as planned. Routine breast screenings will go ahead as planned.
The Island’s GP practices are unaffected by the RCN strike action.
