Noble's Hospital discharge deadlock blocking hospital bed space

Sixteen extra beds were made available on Monday to cope with a spike in demand

Difficulties finding care homes for patients being discharged from Noble's Hospital is causing a lack of bed space, bosses have admitted.

The island's main hospital has been operating under extreme pressure over the new year period due to a spike in patients needing care.

Sixteen extra beds were made available on Monday to cope with demand.

Manx Care's director of nursing Paul Moore said the delays were "quite concerning".

Patients moving from the hospital to care homes were a key factor in the congestion, he said.

The process can be slowed down by problems finding funding, carrying out necessary assessments and matching the needs of the resident with the right home, Mr Moore added.

Manx Care is working with the health department and private health care providers so that "medically-fit" patients can leave hospital more quickly, he said.

'All hands on deck'

Earlier this week Manx Care made a call for registered nurses to cover high levels of staff sickness at Noble's Hospital after high numbers of patients were admitted.

Mr Moore said there was a "very good response" to the appeal but it was a case of "all hands on deck" at times.

Some of the patients in the 16 extra beds were well enough to go home but the hospital was "still quite busy" treating people with seasonal flus and viruses, Mr Moore said.

Staff sickness has been "short term" but the hospital continues to rely on third party staff due to "chronic vacancy problems".

Mr Moore said the issue will take a long time to resolve through training and international recruitment.

He added: "It's not ideal but we need them. At the moment they're vital."

He encouraged people to consider only going to the emergency department in the case of genuine emergencies over the busy winter months.