Isle of Man patient waiting times rise 20% during pandemic

Most healthcare services have resumed on the Isle of Man since the lockdown

The number of Manx people awaiting medical treatment for more than 12 months has risen by almost 20% since coronavirus restrictions were imposed.

New government figures show nearly 2,500 have been on a waiting list for over a year, compared to fewer than 2,100 on 15 March.

Many treatments were halted in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Health Minister David Ashford said the restrictions on the island and in the UK had caused a "backlog".

He said he viewed the issue "very seriously" and the longer people had to wait "the more impact it has on their quality of life".

Many services have resumed since the Isle of Man declared "local elimination" of the virus in June, but some are not yet fully restored.

Trauma and orthopaedics has been the worst affected, with a 65% rise in people not receiving treatment for more than 12 months, while those waiting for over two years has risen by 61%.

Yet while there has been an increase in patients waiting for longer, the number of people having to wait up to six months has dropped by 15%.

Julie Edge MHK said it was "not good enough" that people were unable to have "access to good healthcare".

It was "critical" to bring waiting times down, she added, especially amid the possibility of a second wave of the virus.