Review finds cancer patient wait time targets not met by Manx Care

A number of waiting time targets have not been reached in the past two years

Manx Care failed to meet several of its waiting time targets in the past year, a review of the body has found.

The Department of Health and Social Care has carried out its of the healthcare service.

While waiting lists improved in ophthalmology, orthopaedic and general surgeries, there were declines across a number of cancer services.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper said recruitment and staff retention was a top priority moving forward.

The department was "committed to supporting Manx Care in tackling the challenges" in that area and "improving communication with patients", he said.

Manx Care had a number of targets set by the department to reduce waiting times for cancer patients.

It aimed to ensure there was no longer than a two-week wait for those with an urgent referral of suspected cancer to their first outpatient appointment.

However, while the aim had been for a 93% success rate, Manx Care reached 60%, which represented a 10% decline on the previous year.

The health care provider also aimed to have a maximum 62-day wait from the time of referral for suspected cancer to a patient's first treatment.

Although the aim had been for this to happen 85% of the time, it was achieved in only 36% of cases, which also represented a fall of 10%.

Signposting

The review found Manx Care also failed to meet its target response times to serious incidents, including the time taken for emergency responders to attend life-threatening 999 calls.

But, Mr Hooper said the body had succeeded in a number of other areas, particularly its winter pressures plan, which signposted people to alternative care options to ease waiting times at Noble's Hospital's emergency department.

He also praised efforts to reduce waiting lists in three specific areas of ophthalmology, orthopaedic and general surgeries following additional Treasury funding for the initiatives.

Manx Care's annual report along with the department's assessment will be debated at the November sitting of Tynwald.

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