Mental health services reinstated after suspension

Manx Care came up with a range of possible savings, many of which were rejected by its board

Two mental health services suspended as part of a programme to make £5m of saving for Manx Care are set to be reinstated, the chief minister has confirmed.

Kooth and Quell, which provide access to immediate mental health counselling online for adults and young people, were paused in a bid to save around £30,000.

Speaking in the House of Keys, Alfred Cannan the move had been reversed after "an element of concern" surrounding the savings "versus the impact it would have".

He also confirmed the temporary total closure of the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Ramsey Cottage Hospital had been among the now rejected new proposals to further reduce costs.

Manx Care was given an operating budget of £347m this financial year, but projections in September forecasted a £16.8 overspend.

The island's health care provider subsequently announced a range of staffing and service changes in a bid to save £5m by April.

They included reducing elective surgery days, cutting spending on bank and agency staff and the temporary suspension of Kooth and Quell.

Cannan told MHKs, despite those savings having been previously signed off, it had since been deemed "inappropriate at this stage" to pause the mental health support services.

Ramsey Cottage Hospital offers a walk-in service for patients

The chief minister also outlined further details about the measures suggested by Manx Care as part of another round of efficiencies, which were not supported by the health care provider's board, that the Council of Ministers agreed should not be pursued.

They included plans to reduce overnight ambulance provision, not recommencing the shingles vaccine programme, not transferring critically unwell patients overnight.

Reviewing the contracts held by health care body with other non-statutory health and care service providers, suspending the contract with the helicopter emergency medical service and not providing funded patient escorts, were also included in the proposals.

Although the move to temporarily close Ramsey Cottage Hospital MIU altogether until April was rejected, the facility will still remain closed on weekends, until at least the end of the year, to make £15,000 of agency staff savings.

The temporary closure of wards at Noble's Hospital and the Manx Emergency Doctor Service were ruled out in a statement from the Council of Ministers on Monday.

Despite rejecting the new raft of proposed cost-saving measures, Cannan said Manx Care would still be required to continue working on its existing savings measures, and identify further opportunities to make savings "to achieve financial balance while protecting critical frontline services to the public above all else".