Manx Care services bolstered to support TT racing

Manx Care expects demand at the Emergency Department to increase by up to 20%

Health care on the Isle of Man has been bolstered during the TT festival to "support racing" and maintain services, the health provider has said.

Thousands of visitors have been travelling to the island for the two-week event, which runs until 8 June.

Manx Care chief executive officer Teresa Cope said extra staffing and equipment meant the organisation could signal to organisers they were "safe to start" ahead of each race.

But she said the health care provider was also "very conscious" to balance "business as usual" services and scheduled appointments with the demands of the event.

Teresa Cope said the service had planned for a range of scenarios

Extra doctors and nurses have been providing an enhanced trauma team at Noble's Hospital and the island's paramedics have been supported by colleagues from the Isle of Wight, Guernsey and the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Manx Care have also been supported by colleagues at Aintree Major Trauma Centre and the Walton Centre for Neurosciences, which provide support for patients who require urgent off-island transfer.

'Responsive'

While it would be "extreme", Ms Cope said if services were under "critical levels" of pressure, the decision could be made to delay racing on the Mountain Course.

But she said the health care provider had considered all the scenarios that could happen and planned accordingly by looking at "how we can flex to meet them" to make sure the service was "as resilient as possible".

Manx Care expected demand at the Emergency Department to increase by up to 20% during the festival, she said.

Head of the island's ambulance service Will Bellamy said cover increased "significantly" from five vehicles in the day and three overnight to between 10 and 12 on a 24-hour rolling rota during the period.

He said the island was "alive" during the fortnight and the "sheer volumes of people and bikes are not like anything else we experience throughout the year".

Despite the increase in demand, Mr Bellamy said it was "key to make sure we can still deliver a responsive ambulance service to the general public".

Urging people who need support to use the service, he said: "Please don’t leave it until the TT is finished, we’ve planned for all of the extras that TT brings."

"If you need us, call us," he added.