The DHSC has revealed progress in addressing nursing shortages, though gaps in vacancy data persist.
Health Minister Claire Christian provided the update in response to a question from Onchan MHK Julie Edge.
Ms Edge had asked how many nursing posts Manx Care requires to operate safely and the number of vacancies since 2019.
Ms Christian stated that nurse-to-patient ratios vary by care setting, with recommendations ranging from 1:8 in medical units to 1:1 for critically ill patients.
She noted that analysis in 2021 and 2022 highlighted a shortfall of 92 whole time equivalent registered nurses in the acute sector.
“Subsequent analysis of workforce oversight reports has identified significant improvements,” said Ms Christian. “In 2024, one in fifty shifts exceeded safe staffing levels due to increased acuity, but by 2025, this had fallen to one in a hundred shifts.”
Training
The improvement was attributed to the nurse training programme, which has employed 128 locally-funded registered nurses, with a further 23 expected in 2025.
Manx Care forecasts the nursing vacancy rate will fall below 3% this year, aided by the commitment to employ all graduating student nurses on the island.
Previous mitigations, such as using hospital bank staff and agency nurses, have also helped ensure safe staffing levels.
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