The Health and Social Care Minister has defended government support for Hospice Isle of Man, as concerns continue following announcements of redundancies and service changes.
In a statement to the House of Keys, Claire Christian insisted “government remains a committed partner of Hospice Isle of Man and its essential core services are protected and will continue to be protected”.
However, she recognised the scale of the financial pressures facing the charity, with hospice “operating at a financial deficit for the past six years,” driven by rising costs and what it has described as comparatively low levels of government funding.
Ms Christian acknowledged the uncertainty created by the changes, telling members the department is “acutely aware of the impact these changes will have on the staff… and of the uncertainty they may cause for patients, carers and families”.
Unresolved
While seeking to reassure the public, she also made clear that key details remain unresolved. Discussions between the department, Manx Care and hospice are ongoing, with full impact assessments still awaited and plans yet to be finalised.
While hospice has stated government funding accounts for around 24% of its overall income, the minister challenged that interpretation, saying the island’s model is different and that “current funding equates to a contribution of 37%” when measured against core clinical staffing costs.
She also stated that government “cannot do is make unsustainable or ad hoc funding increases outside the Tynwald approved financial framework,” signalling limits to any immediate financial intervention.
Ms Christian added that Manx Care had met with the hospice and was working to understand the implications of the proposed service redesign.
She said: “Manx care will continue to actively support hospice to ensure that any potential changes are introduced safely and with no adverse impacts on patients.”
Despite assurances, she said she was “not in a position to provide further specifics regarding changes to services” while the redundancy process is ongoing.