Cuts to Manx Care advice service due to staffing

Manx Care has frozen recruitment to non-clinical posts

Drop-in medical advice sessions and telephone services have been temporarily scaled back amid staffing pressures, the island's health care provider has said.

The Manx Care Advice and Liaison Service (MCALS) is to operate from 10:00 to 15:00 BST from Monday to Friday throughout April, May and June.

There would also be a "reduced presence in the community" from May, but there will "still be pop-up drop-in events", the health care operator said.

MCALS recently moved its main based to the Noble's Hospital site in Braddan, with plans to open a public counter in the summer.

The new location had a "quiet room facility" to help the team work with third sector partners and "best support service users, carers, and families", a Manx Care spokesman said.

'Funding pressures'

The MCALS team had launched a series of drop-in sessions across the island to give people the opportunity to share concerns about island health services or to seek advice about which service could help with their needs.

The Manx Care spokesman said, as part of the health care provider's "plan to address our well documented funding pressures, a decision was made last year to freeze recruitment to non-clinical posts".

The advice and liaison service "fell into this category," he said.

"As we move into a new financial year, this situation will be reviewed as part of Manx Care’s wider funding allocations for this year," he added.

The telephone service had in the past been available between 09:30 and 16:00, and monthly drop-in sessions were held in Ramsey, Peel, Port Erin and Douglas.

Manx Care said any emails and voice messages sent to the service outside of the reduced working hours would still be picked up the next working day.