Manx Care must improve data collection, health minister says

Manx Care made efficiency savings of £1m in 2021-2022, £1.7m below target

Manx Care must improve how data is collected so "the public know what to expect", the Health Minister has said.

His comments were in response to the health body's first annual report which looked at 12 key areas ranging from the pandemic response to waiting times.

Rob Callister MHK said he could not confidently say standards were met "in many cases" as data was not available.

In a letter he said while Manx Care had "excelled" in delivering the pandemic response, there was "more work to do".

Mr Callister acknowledged progress had been made on waiting times across services, but said Manx Care should improve its reporting to both the Department of Health and Social Care and the public.

Last week Tynwald agreed to spend an additional £18.3m to help cut hospital waiting lists in three areas.

'Significant improvements'

Manx Care, which took over health and social care services in April 2021, made efficiency savings of £1m last year, significantly below the target of £2.7m.

The DHSC were also forced to ask Tynwald for extra funding of up to £10m to cover the cost of an overspend due to rising drug prices, off-island treatment, and higher than planned pay awards.

A spokesman for Manx Care said "a huge amount of work" had been done to understand the expenditure and the health care body remained "fully committed to operating within our allocated budget".

Mr Callister said he expected the health care provider to "deliver significant improvements" in future.

The DHSC set new targets for the current financial year in a 12-month mandate, which began in April.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]