Mental health set as priority for Manx Care

BBC Isle of Man reports mental health, wellbeing and children's services are among the priorities set out for Manx Care for the year ahead

Report by BBC Isle of Man

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its 2024-25 mandate for the body, which is the fourth since its creation in 2021.

There are five priority focus areas outlined for "transformation and improvement" throughout the year.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper said the mandate delivered a "shift in focus to the long term vision of healthcare".

The budget for 2024-25 saw a five-year funding model set out for Manx Care in line with the recommendation's made by Sir Jonathan Michael for the transformation of the island's health services.

The organisation was set up in 2021 as an arms-length body by the Isle of Man government to take over the day-to-day running of health services from the DHSC.

The department now sets out priorities for the healthcare provider on an annual basis.

The main areas of focus in the next financial year have been set on "fully integrated" health and care systems, safe appropriate and consistent care, planning for future population needs, prevention, early intervention and childhood experiences, and governance and accountability.

The mandate also lays out a number of services to be developed.

Those include the implementation of a wellbeing and mental health strategy, improving access to children's mental health and early help services, and improving children's oral healthcare.

It also includes mental health objectives involving changes to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

Under the mandate, Manx Care has been tasked with working to "ensure those with low to moderate mental health needs are offered timely access to community-based support, advice or, where appropriate, courses of psychological therapy".

The body must also work with the police, the probation service and Department of Home Affairs "to provide the right response to service users with mental health and social care challenges".

Mr Hooper said the large size of the plan reflected "the size of the task to commission and deliver an entire health and social care service".

He said the department was "pushing Manx Care to live within its means" in order to "drive efficiencies and provide proof that services are being run in the most sustainable and effective way".

The DHSC was granted approval for a £30m overspend in the current financial year following cost pressures relating to pay awards, energy prices, and drug costs.

The mandate is to be laid before Tynwald in March, to come into effect from April.