An MHK has called into doubt discrepancies in Manx Care’s reported financial position.
Lib Vannin leader Lawrie Hooper challenged Health Minister Claire Christian on why a written answer cited a £9m forecast overspend, while Manx Care’s own July financial reports indicated a higher figure.
Mr Hooper asserted the actual overspend was “closer to £20m,” exacerbated by a further £10 million in fund drawdowns.
He accused the minister of downplaying the situation, stating Ms Christian was looking to “tryto mislead Tynwald” by providing inadequate information, a remark he later withdrew after a request from President Lawrence Skelly.
Transparency
Ms Christian defended the department’s transparency, saying the £9m figure related specifically to mandated services.
She acknowledged additional cost pressures, citing “increased costs for the Loganair contract for scheduled patient transfer flights” and increased demands placed on Manx Care by the prison.
However, Mr Hooper denounced this, saying that the patient transfer “is a mandated service, it’s on page three of appendix two of the mandate, if anyone is interested”.
Ms Christian replied: “We are being very open about what our risks are.
“We are dealing with those risks as we can. And in the in the example that he gave about non urgent patient transfer, as I said, this was increased costs which was contracted it with came over to Manx Care, and they said in the beginning that these were costs that in the mandate, as the Honourable Member knows that this was a pressure that they did not have funding for
“And I’m working with the Treasury and the department for enterprise so that this can be funded properly.”
Pressing for a definitive figure, Mr Hooper asked to know “what is the current overspend position?” with Ms Christian maintaining the position was “£9m, with these additional risks,” insisting her department had been “very transparent in this answer”.