A decision has been taken to reduce the number of beds in Martin Ward at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital from 31 to 20.
The reduction which is happening with immediate effect is due to the “consistent reduction” in occupancy,
Martin Ward occupancy has reduced from 95%+ during 2023/24 to 70% in the final quarter of 2024/25.
Manx Care says this is due to the demand for inpatient rehabilitation moving into the community.
Bed Reduction
Manx Care states that people with frailty and complex needs comprise a large proportion of demand into our hospitals, and given the demographic trends on the Isle of Man, this will only continue to increase, leading to more pressure on hospital services.
It says that clinical evidence shows that being in hospital is not conducive to recovery and rehabilitation, with best progress made in the home with support from community practitioners.
The first stage of this programme will see a reduction of 11 beds on Martin Ward, and expanding access to step-down rehabilitation beds and home-based support.
Phased Change
This phased change is being introduced in order to maintain safe, high-quality care despite current staffing pressures, all whilst preventing unnecessary hospital stays and reducing long-term dependency on care packages.
The changes to Martin Ward will facilitate two Nurses to go on rotation to the Frailty Unit at Noble’s, to build up experience on management of acute frailty, which will benefit them and their colleagues in the longer-term.
There will be no redundancies due to this reduction in bed numbers.
Extra Staff
Additionally, two Social Workers from the Hospital Social Work Team are now embedded as part of the multidisciplinary team on Martin Ward, helping to reduce length of stay by initiating the process of discharge much earlier for patients who require care upon discharge.
Oliver Radford, Interim Executive Director of Partnerships, Performance and Improvement, said: “This redesign is about getting people back to their lives faster and with less dependency – not about cutting services, but improving them in the right setting.
“We’d like to thank all partners and staff involved in this work, and will continue to engage with stakeholders, including MHKs, unions, and community organisations, to ensure transparency and shared ownership of this important change.”
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