Manx Care takes over island's health and social care services

Manx Care is now responsible for the day-to-day delivery of health services

An organisation, set up following an independent review of the Isle of Man's health system, has taken over the day-to day running of the island's health and social care services.

Manx Care has been shadowing the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) since January.

Chairman Andrew Foster said patients would not notice any difference.

The government continues to be responsible for strategy, planning, policy and regulation.

Former NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Sir Jonathan Michael was appointed by the Manx Treasury to head a review of health services in March 2018.

'Avoiding waste'

It followed a series of overspends by the DHSC.

Sir Jonathan said the organisational structure and systems of the Manx health service were "inhibiting" staff, and the department would "need help from outside".

A "Manx Care" body, headed by a "mainly non-executive" board, was recommended.

Although running independently, Manx Care will still be overseen by the health minister and the DHSC.

Mr Foster said he would work with health care staff to use their "expert knowledge to deliver better services" and he hoped, within three to five years, to "have the Isle of Man as being one of the best small health care systems in the world."

Manx Care Chairman Andrew Foster said it should be a "seamless transition"

Mr Foster said the the new organisation would "live within our own means", by increasing efficiencies while improving the quality of care.

"It's not cutting services, it's delivering them in the way that delivers better quality and thus make savings by avoiding waste," he said.

He said he wanted to reduce the number of patients who were kept in hospital "simply because they can't be discharged into the community".