Health Minister: 'I absolutely would be supporting Mandate if I was still a backbencher'

Manx Care wants to accelerate a ‘home first approach’ to health services

This year's Manx Care Mandate is about modernising and making health services more efficient 'by moving them to the right place, at the right time with the right person'.

That's the message from the health minister who's hit back at accusations that it evidences 'the largest assault on NHS care the Island has ever seen'.

Claire Christian told Manx Radio she would 'absolutely' be supporting the document if she was still a backbencher.

That's despite being a vocal critic of government policy until she took up her role as health and social care minister late last year.

Just five months ago Ms Christian said planned health cuts by Manx Care meant the health body was essentially saying “this is what will happen if we don’t get the extra funding” and that it was “holding a gun to the head of government”.

But she says that this is the first time that the Manx Care Mandate and the DHSC Operating Plan have been really aligned with the financial budget:

'HOME FIRST'

The crux of the Manx Care Mandate is the aim to develop better out-of-hospital provision – in dental, GP and pharmacy services – and accelerate a ‘home first approach’ to move more services into the community.

Wendy Reid is the chair of the organisation:

Whilst increases in GP appointments and dental appointments would undoubtedly be welcomed by many, Manx Radio asked Professor Reid how realistic that goal is given historic issues around recruitment:

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Within the health body's Operating Plan is an aim 'Manx Care will endeavour to maintain Emergency Department waiting times so that no less than 78 percent of patients are admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival in the department by March 2026'.

However the body then goes on to admit that 'constraining and reducing elective activity could have a negative impact on this target in 2025/26 were a patient’s condition to worsen and they seek emergency care instead.

Manx Radio asked Professor Reid why the body didn't simply say "we're expecting an increase in waiting times this year":

GENERAL DEBATE

Both documents are due to be laid before Tynwald later this month with a 'general debate' proposed on the matter by current Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian.

This means members will debate the documents but the plans themselves are not subject to a vote.

That was something critiqued by former Health Minister Lawrie Hooper:

However that has always been the case.

Last year a debate was tabled by another former Health Minister - David Ashford.

Ms Christian says if there was something in the Mandate that the majority of MHKs felt needed to be changed it would be something she would look into:

The Mandate to Manx Care can be found in full HERE whilst the Operating Plan can be found HERE.

KEYS SITTING

Minister Christian is to be quizzed on cancer care provision in the House of Keys (11 March).

Onchan MHK Julie Edge will ask: 'Who in [the DHSC] is responsible for delivering screening programmes for cancers of the a) breast, b) cervix and c) bowel; and whether any discussions have taken place about changes to these'.

It follows intense discussions over whether or not changes are incoming to the Island's cancer screening programme.

You can read more HERE.

And you can listen to full coverage of today’s sitting on Manx Radio’s AM 1368 frequency, via DAB or online by clicking HERE.

NEWSCAST

Manx Radio's full interview with the health minister and Manx Care is available in our latest Newscast: