On Air Night Flight | Midnight - 6:00am

Efforts to find new emergency medicine consultants for Noble's Hospital

Public concerns over waiting times in department highlighted

Efforts are underway to find new consultants to work in the Emergency Department at Noble’s Hospital.

Manx Care is recruiting for a consultant in emergency medicine and a consultant in pre-hospital and emergency medicine to grow its ‘expanding team’.

It says by taking up these positions the individuals will be ‘stepping away’ from NHS ‘pressures and demands’.

Concerns have been raised this week about extended waiting times within the Emergency Department at the Douglas facility.  

Manx Radio understands that waiting times for some patients yesterday exceeded several hours.

On social media people have been sharing their experiences too – one user said they’d gone to the department after taking ill at a UK airport.

They claim hospital staff wanted to admit them but there were ‘no beds available’ and describe how they were sent home ‘in pain’ as the ED was ‘full to bursting’.

The contributor has tagged Manx Care in their comments but doesn’t appear to have had a public reply.

Someone else has claimed the hospital is operating at OPEL Level 4 – which is the highest rating on the Operational Pressure Escalation Levels.

In the UK NHS this means decisive action must be taken by the Local A&E Delivery Board to recover capacity and ensure patient safety.

 

Manx Care has confirmed to Manx Radio that the hospital is operating at OPEL Level 3 today (Friday, 25 November). 

Last week the health body asked people to ‘choose well’ in relation to where they sought medical help from after a number of seriously ill and critically ill patients were admitted.

It admitted it had left the urgent and emergency care teams ‘stretched’.

People were urged to use Ramsey’s Minor Illnesses and Injuries unit if possible or community pharmacies

Manx Radio contacted Manx Care to establish whether there was an issue with waiting times.

It declined to comment at this stage.

More from Isle of Man News