Health Minister Claire Christian has told Tynwald that improving integrated care across the health system is the key to addressing pressures at Noble’s Hospital, rather than simply adding more beds.
Answering questions from MHKs about the recently published bed capacity review, Ms Christian said the report made clear that “the addition of beds without other supportive changes will not resolve the long term health and social care needs of the island’s population”.
Julie Edge questioned why patients continue to experience extended waits in A&E and have elective procedures cancelled if the review has concluded no additional beds are needed.
Ms Christian said: “I believe the review actually says it doesn’t need additional beds at this moment.”
Discharging
She said the review identifies the need for efficiencies in patient flow, including a move to seven-day discharge.
“We should be moving to a seven day discharge, and what that means is over the weekend, when we know there’s backup of Monday and Tuesday, when those are the more critical times, that is because we’ve not discharged anybody over on the weekend,” she said.
Ms Edge also raised concerns about patient safety, highlighting that bed occupancy has “repeatedly exceeded internationally recognised safe thresholds”.
However Ms Christian responded: “It’s not just about beds. It is also about integrated care. This is about from GPs all the way through to our social care, and it’s about working those integrated areas better.”
Jason Moorhouse asked whether the department had received any initial thoughts from Manx Care on the report since a meeting last Friday.
Ms Christian told members officers from DHSC and Manx Care met on that date to review the recommendations, but said “no actual final decisions were made at that point”.
Manx Care is due to develop a draft action plan by the end of this month.