A response to a written question has revealed that theatre utilisation has fallen short of Manx Care’s target.
Manx Care delivered 968 theatre sessions and carried out 2,600 operations between April 2025 and January 2026, but overall theatre utilisation remained below the mandated 85% target.
Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian published the data in response to a question from Onchan MHK Julie Edge.
The Health Minister confirmed that average utilisation across the 10‑month period was 80.6%, with monthly performance ranging from a high of 84.6% in September to a low of 76.2% in January.
Below Target
The figures show that while theatre activity remained substantial, averaging 2.7 operations per four‑hour session, the service consistently fell short of the 85% utilisation benchmark set out in the Manx Care Mandate.
Monthly utilisation highlights include:
- April: 82.5%
- June: 82.2%
- September: 84.6% (highest)
- December: 77.9%
- January: 76.2% (lowest)
The Minister noted that the decline from September through January reflected a combination of factors, including increased patient cancellations, hospital‑initiated cancellations, and the seasonal slowdown over Christmas and New Year when theatres prioritise emergency and urgent cases.
Causes of Underutilisation
The Department attributed the shortfall to several operational pressures:
- Underfilled theatre lists when surgical teams are unable to add sufficient cases, leading to early finishes and reduced utilisation.
- Patient cancellations, particularly same‑day cancellations due to illness or being medically unfit for surgery.
- Hospital cancellations, often linked to bed shortages, staff availability, or equipment issues.
- Seasonal disruption, with December and January traditionally seeing reduced elective activity.
The Minister said recent improvements, including the launch of the Elective Surgical Unit and strengthened recruitment in theatres, surgery, and anaesthesia, should help reduce hospital‑initiated cancellations going forward.
Updated Methodology
Manx Care has recently revised how it records theatre sessions to align with NHS standards.
All‑day lists are now counted as two sessions, rather than one, meaning the latest figures may not be directly comparable with historic Integrated Performance Report (IPR) data.
The number of sessions delivered, utilisation rates, and cancellations continue to be monitored and reported through the monthly IPR.
You can find the written question here.
