'Successful' £18m health programme cuts long Isle of Man wait lists

Long waiting times for a number of treatments have been cut after the success of an £18.3m funding boost, Manx Care has said.

More than 2,000 patients have undergone surgery between August 2022 and May this year, following the government cash injection last October.

It marks the second phase of the Restoration and Recovery programme, which began after the Covid pandemic.

It focussed on orthopaedic, ophthalmology and general surgery.

The programme aims to tackle long waits across a number of healthcare services, the challenges of which were said to be exacerbated by the global crisis.

A Manx Care spokeswoman said the funding was used to "partner with the UK provider Synaptik to work alongside the surgical teams already based at Noble's Hospital to increase Manx Care's existing capacity".

She said it had "successfully continued to reduce waiting times for a number of procedures".

Manx Care reported a 79% reduction in cataract waiting lists, a 37% reduction in orthopaedic inpatient waiting lists and a 23% reduction in general surgery inpatient waiting lists.

The programme is now set to move into its third phase which focuses on treatment for "complex patients and those who were unable to accept surgeries on the shorter timetable".

The spokeswoman said: "The reduction in waiting times may now fluctuate in the coming months, as the programme moves to its next phase."

An update on the programme is due to be brought before Tynwald's October sitting.

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