Manx Care appoints Medefer to carry out telemedicine
Six thousand hospital appointments will be carried out virtually over the next few months as part of efforts to reduce waiting lists on the Isle of Man.
Manx Care is outsourcing outpatient consultations, across seven specialties, to Medefer with NHS specialists helping to expedite treatment.
They are cardiology, ear nose and throat, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, pain management, orthopaedics and routine dermatology referrals.
Patients who are eligible to have a virtual appointment will be contacted by Manx Care and offered the choice – not everyone will be eligible for the service.
The Medefer specialists, who are practising NHS consultants, can organise face to face investigations or diagnostic testing as appropriate following consultation.
Manx Care says it's worked extensively with the Isle of Man's information commissioner to ensure patient data remains protected and appropriate consent is put in place.
No-one from Medefer will ask patients for any form of payment or for their bank details either on the phone, in a letter or via email.
Chief executive Teresa Cope says waiting times have been 'exacerbated' by the Covid-19 pandemic and this is part of a 'restoration and recovery' programme:
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