No emergency doctors service overnight due to staff sickness

Staff sickness will close the emergency doctors service for 8 hours

The Isle of Man's out-of-hours doctors service is closing between midnight and 08:00 GMT due to staff sickness until further notice.

The Manx emergency doctors service (MEDS) was forced to close at short notice on Sunday for the same reason.

A Manx Care spokeswoman said if usual calls to the service cannot wait until GPs open in the morning, residents should go to the emergency department.

The decision had "not been taken lightly" she added.

An answerphone message will explain the situation to those calling the MEDS helpline to speak to a doctor.

Calls received last night were being diverted to the hospital switchboard and have since been assessed.

The announcement follows a plea from the health provider to seek community care for non-urgent health problems to avoid swamping the island's main hospital.