Extra £18m to Cut Waiting Lists

DHSC Minister Lawrie Hooper is to ask Tynwald to approve £18.3m in extra funding to help cut waiting lists on the island.

The money will be ring-fenced for this purpose and sit separately from Manx Care’s annual budget.

If approved, the extra cash would enable Manx Care to continue its partnership with private healthcare provider Synaptik which helps boosts capacity at Noble’s.

The additional capacity will be used to reduce the three largest waiting lists with around 760 orthopaedic patients, 930 general surgery patients and 2,090 ophthalmology patients having their operations sooner, covering procedures such as hip replacements and cataract removal.

Mr Hooper said: ‘I understand how frustrating and difficult long waiting times can be for both patients and their loved ones and the impact it has on people’s quality of life. That is why the Government is determined to reduce healthcare waiting times.  

‘Manx Care has made a solid start in its efforts to reduce hospital waits, but it is clear that more support is needed to help achieve this.  This funding will clear significant backlogs – made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic – and make future waiting times much more reasonable.’

While the gov says this money is not related to an overspend by the DHSC or Manx Care, figures released by Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson showed that the island’s healthcare provider is forecasting a £8.5m overspend for this financial year.