Manx Care has stated that its ability to shift care from hospitals into the community is being hampered because it cannot access transformation funding, slowing the rollout of its “Home First” system.
The health body’s Chief Executive, Theresa Cope, confirmed the funding has not been drawn down, calling the situation “disappointing”.
She explained that moving services requires initial investment, telling a Tynwald committee: “You can’t just suddenly take a service out of a hospital and put it in a community. It just doesn’t work like that. It’s unsafe and you would cause harm.”
Ms Cope argued that the current model is more expensive, noting: “A GP appointment is £50. If people have to come to hospital, it’s about £200 and if people have to come to hospital via an ambulance, you’re looking at £700.”
Block
Interim Director of Operations, Sean Stacey, said that despite the financial block, some progress is being made, such as the ‘hear and treat’ ambulance service and an expanded intermediate care service.
However, he warned that without transformation funding, the pace of change is limited.
“It just means that we do things much more slowly, more incrementally, without the impact they could have,” Ms Cope added.
Sheila Lloyd, Director of Nursing, emphasised the benefits of the “Home First” model, saying: “It would be just so more appropriate for people to be in the safety and the comfort of their own home.”
When asked why the funds could not be accessed, Ms Cope said, “I don’t feel we have been able to satisfy the decision makers around that is the most effective use of that money and the return on investment can be appropriately evidenced.”