Strikes Likely to Affect Manx Patients

Manx Care has said it expects that strikes in England will impact on Manx patients heading across the sea for treatment.

Nurses on the island are not part of current industrial strike action in England, which is due total play on Sunday April 30 and Monday May 1.

Patients travelling to the UK for scheduled appointments and operations during the period are likely to receive cancellations and re-bookings directly from UK hospitals.

If patients have not received contact from their UK hospital, they are being advised to check their appointment or operation is still going ahead directly with the UK hospital prior to travelling if it falls during the period.

During this latest action there are no derogations, meaning there will be no services which will be protected from industrial action. The provision of emergency services could also be compromised, which could potentially mean that some of the specialist emergency pathways that Manx Care normally accesses on a regular basis for patients who have suffered a significant injury or adverse medical event may not be available during the period.

The Manx Care Patient Transfer Office is available to assist patients with re-booking of travel arrangements and advice as required. Patients can call 642673 between 9am and 5pm today.. For urgent assistance outside of the normal Patient Transfer operating hours, contact the Air Ambulance Service Coordinator on (+44 1624) 650000.

While nurses here are not part of the action in England, the island’s nurses did reject the latest offer from Manx Care for a pay offer with 85% of respondents rejecting it and RCN north west regional director Estephanie Dunn calling the offer ‘simply unacceptable’.