A former health minister says the DHSC and Manx Care aren’t even trying to hide this year’s expected overspend.
Lawrie Hooper MHK has slammed the government’s health mandate, accusing Manx Care and the DHSC of openly planning to exceed their approved budget,.
Speaking in Tynwald Mr Hooper said, “They are not trying to hide this. They are quite clear that the pay and the operational pressures on the department are not going to be covered by some of this funding.”
The mandate reveals Manx Care intends to spend £361.8 million, £4.3 million more than the £357 million approved by Tynwald.
Ring-fenced
Mr Hooper added: “The minister has previously told us that that budget has been ring fenced for certain things.
“So inside that £4.3 million, there’s supposed to be ring fenced funding for the autism strategy, for the suicide prevention work, for the work going on in respect of carers, but also in respect of the regulation of Care Act, improvements that are supposed to be coming through all that stuff.
“The minister has previously told Tynwald that has been ring fenced for those things, but Manx Care are also spending that money in their mandate.
Accountant
“Now, I may not be a chartered accountant, but I know you can’t spend the same money twice. That’s a matter of fact. It turns out I am a chartered accountant, and so I know what I’m talking about with some of this stuff.”
Mr Hooper also criticised unrealistic savings targets, arguing an 8% cut—equivalent to £30 million—was “a fantasy” and “never going to happen”.
He warned of dire patient impacts, citing an AI analysis of the mandate which concluded it risked “reduced public services, increased costs, and a tilt towards privatisation”.
The debate, described by Mr Hooper as a “vote of conscience” given the CoMin block vote, adjourned for lunch, with the former minister set to continue his critique to open the debate.
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