Nobles Hospital: A&E pressure prompts community care plea

The winter months usually see a surge in demand for hospital treatment

People on the Isle of Man have been encouraged to seek community care for non-urgent health problems to avoid swamping the island's main hospital.

Manx Care has launched a campaign to highlight the treatment available at GP surgeries and the minor injuries unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital.

Director of nursing Paul Moore said it would "help enormously".

It comes after a recent spike in admissions saw people asked to help ease pressure on Noble's Hospital.

The winter months traditionally see more people with respiratory illnesses and chronic conditions seeking treatment, heaping extra weight on resources.

Pharmacies, opticians and dentists can also offer help and advice, Manx Care said.

'Winter strategy'

Mr Moore said community services can deal with the vast majority of problems "really well and quickly".

He added it was "not always true" that hospital care is faster.

Manx Care is set to distribute advice about precisely what community care is available to all homes as part of a wider winter strategy.

This includes plans to expand social care services to see fewer people entering hospital.

Mr Moore said the continued challenges of recruitment issues and staff illness put constraints on "how quickly we can expand", but training was in place "so we can cope".

Plans were in place to ensure staff levels would be "stable" in the coming months, he added.