MLP calls on Treasury to think of other ways to pay for health service
Treasury needs to start thinking outside the ‘fixed mindset’ of taxing workers more to pay for the health service.
The Manx Labour Party is calling on the government department to look at additional sources of revenue as questions continue to be asked about how Manx Care is funded.
It says the health body has been tasked with delivering substantial transformation and improvement but has not been adequately funded to do so.
Manx Care has warned 'unpalatable decisions' will have to be taken in order to try and reduce a predicted overspend of £16.8 million.
In a statement the party said:
"Health & social care spending consistently outstrips the budget allocated to it. That has been the case for many years – far longer, in fact, than Manx Care has been around.
"In recent years Sir Jonathan Michael gave a funding formula for health care that was approved by Tynwald in 2019.
"That funding formula has not been adhered to by the Treasury.
"In effect Manx Care were tasked with delivering substantial transformation and improvement but was not adequately funded to do so.
"Whilst Treasury did increase the budget in 2024 this still didn’t bring it in line with the funding formula that Sir Jonathan Michael recommended.
"We have all heard the narrative in recent months that our public funds are stretched.
"We are clear that we stand resolutely with our National Health Service being free at the point of use.
"We send a firm message to CoMin that we will strongly resist introducing charges or cutting services.
"In terms of raising revenue our government and Treasury department need to start thinking outside of the fixed mindset of taxing workers.
"Workers are taxed enough.
"The Future Economic Strategy states that we should reduce inequality by using the taxation system – so far we do not seem to be moving on this at all.
"With additional taxation placed on workers, whilst the tax thresholds remained untouched in the last budget, all we have done is widen the gap and place an unequal burden on working people."
Leader, and political member for the Department of Health and Social Care, Joney Faragher spoke to Lewis Foster:
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