Number of beds on hospital ward cut by 11

Ramsey Cottage Hospital is one of two facilities offering inpatient beds on the island

The number of hospital beds for overnight stays at a hospital in the north of the Isle of Man has been cut by 11 as part of a move to put rehabilitation into a community setting.

Manx Care said the "reconfiguration" of Martin Ward at Ramsey Cottage Hospital was due to a drop in occupancy rates and a change to rehabilitation services.

The beds on the ward, which have been reduced to 20, are used for inpatients with varied illnesses as well as those in need of rehabilitation and respite care.

The health care provider said usage had fallen to 70% of capacity in the first three months of the year, compared to 95% during the previous financial year.

Oliver Radford of Manx Care said the redesign was about "getting people back to their lives faster and with less dependency".

It was "not about cutting services, but improving them in the right setting," he added.

The phased move to more community care across the board has been started by "expanding access to step-down rehabilitation beds and home-based support", it said.

Manx Care said the moves would help prevent "unnecessary hospital stays" and reduce "long-term dependency on care packages".

'Best progress at home'

Reducing bed capacity in favour of community care and rehabilitation were among a raft of changes outlined in the health care provider's plan for 2025-26.

A Manx Care spokeswoman said steps taken to provide rehabilitation in the community since 2023 had led to a reduction in admissions to hospital from care homes on the island.

People with "frailty and complex needs" placed a large proportion of demand on hospitals, and the ageing population meant that would continue to increase, she said.

"Clinical evidence shows that being in hospital is not conducive to recovery and rehabilitation, with best progress made in the home with support from community practitioners."

Manx Care said there would be no job losses as a result of the changes but two nurses would be relocated to the Frailty Unit at Noble's Hospital and two social workers would be based on Martin Ward to speed up the discharging process.