No funding for additional healthcare staff over winter

Manx Care says colder months are the busiest period for health

Manx Care is warning some patients will face increased waiting times this winter due to a lack of funding for additional staff over the colder months

A number of schemes will be put in place in a bid to limit the impact, at what the healthcare provider says is often the busiest four-month period of the year.

Since Manx Care was established in 2021, it's had funding set aside to ensure extra primary staff can be brought in to cope with the additional workload.

However, this won't be the case this year due to the board's need to achieve financial balance.

The organisation has put in place a number of schemes to manage the increase in demand though, such as a pilot of virtual GP services and changes to handovers at the weekend.

A pilot pharmacy scheme will see the current Minor Ailments Scheme include seven new pathways, including shingles, sinusitis and acute ear infections.

It will also review the Hospital Operational Pressures Escalation Level - or OPEL - framework, and ensure a daily presence of specialist medical consultants on the Acute Medical Unit and Emergency Department.

The lack of additional staff will mean outpatient-based consultants increase their commitment on the wards, which will result in reduced capacity in outpatient clinics, particularly within respiratory medicine.