Extra £10 million sought for Manx Care

DHSC to ask for additional funding in March

The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking an additional £10 million for Manx Care.

It will ask for the extra funding in the March sitting of Tynwald.

The £10 million requested surpasses the forecast £7 million overspend and includes a contingency, the DHSC says.

The department says the extra money is needed to cope with rising drug costs as a result of Covid-19 and Brexit and the high costs of agency and bank personnel who have been helping to maintain services during recent staffing issues.

There's also the higher costs of care for patients referred to the UK than budgeted for, and the high cost of treatments for uncommon complex conditions where it is impossible to plan or budget for.

On top of that, there are pay awards due for staff in excess of the budgeted amount of one per cent.

Health and Social Care Minister Lawrie Hooper said: 'The team at Manx Care has worked exceptionally hard to continue to deliver services to the public during an incredibly challenging time.

'Although forecasting a successful delivery of the 2021/22 cost improvement programme, I recognise that the pandemic and its wider impact has brought significant pressures on Manx Care.

' A new funding formula set out by Sir Jonathan Michael in his independent Health and Social Care Review is being considered as part of the 2022/23 Budget, which I hope will put Manx Care on a firm footing for its second, and future years, of operation.'
 
Manx Care CEO, Teresa Cope, says: 'Manx Care is working hard to deliver an efficient, compassionate and responsive health and social care service for the people of the Isle of Man.  We continue our efforts to fulfil our aspiration to become the best small-Island health and care system in the world.'

'We have had a very challenging first year with significant pressures, particularly staffing costs and drug prices.  It is hoped once the funding issues have been absorbed, and the pressures from COVID-19 subside, we will begin to see the cost savings and efficiencies that we are working so hard to achieve.'
 
The DHSC sets out the services it requires Manx Care to deliver in an annual mandate, which it has requested Manx Care find total efficiency savings of £4.3m - subject to approval in Tynwald - over the service year.

You can read that document here.