Health Minister Eddie Teare told the House of Keys that the patient transfer service, currently operated by Manx2 as a charter flight to Chester airport as a six-month trial, would be going out to tender shortly.

The charter flights were launched on January 12, patients having previously been flown to Liverpool on Flybe scheduled flights.
There has been criticism from patients about the lack of facilities onboard the Manx2 charter aircraft and at Hawarden airport, Chester.

But Mr Teare said the 'vast majority' had been very satisfied and the six-month trial had been a success.

'We've learned a lot from this exercise,' he said.

But he told MHKs that they should not assume that the Department of Health and Social Security could transfer everyone by air and the Steam Packet's new fastcraft Manannan provided 'an opportunity'.

He told iomtoday that 20 years ago the vast majority of patients were transferred by sea but when Steam Packet sailings went to Heysham instead of Liverpool, the DHSS switched to air transfers.

Now with the Manannan capable of getting to Liverpool in two and a half hours, sailings offered a realistic alternative.

Patient transport costs £2.5 million a year and the cost has risen by £500,000 in the past 12 months, the Keys was told.

Mr Teare said the charter flight trial was due to come to an end on July 11 and confirmed that steps were already being taken to assess its success.

'In addition, the department is in the final stages of preparing the tender documents for the potential future provision of a scheduled or charter air service for NHS patients in the Island who require treatment in the North West.

'The department will seek to balance its two main priorities, which are to achieve good value for money but, at the same time, to maintain a high quality service.'

Peter Karran (Lib Vannin, Onchan) said he had received complaints about the charter flights including lack of a toilets on the aircraft while Chester airport was better suited to handling freight than passengers, he claimed.

He said desperately ill patients were being 'dragged' further away from their usual hospitals in the North West.

Mr Teare replied that this wasn't the case and for some, including patients referred for treatment at Clatterbridge, Chester airport was closer than Liverpool.

He said the flight time was comparable with the Liverpool route and the 'bespoke' charter offered flexibility, citing the example of a flight being held for 10 minutes at Ronaldsway so a patient delayed by traffic could get on board.

The minister said the taxi services from the airport to the hospitals were also going out to tender in the next few months.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Send your comments to newsviews@newsiom.co.im

YOUR COMMENTS

The flights to Chester are great, we go twice a year for a 30min to an hour hospital appointment.... To go by sea would be a nightmare for our Dec appointment especially. We are inconvenienced enough that we can't get our sons medication on the IOM as he is a haemophiliac, all we do is go to Alder Hey to swap medication and do a blood test. If we go by plane we can be home by 6pm, therefore our son does not miss school the following day. Years ago we would have our appointment at 10am and could get an earlier flight and be home back in IOM by 1pm. Going by sea is just a head ache and soo time consuming. My partner is self employed and if he goes to the hospital appointment he does not get holiday pay, so it has a knock on effect at home, if we went by boat that could be 2 days off work in the winter.....
HW

Wow, 20 years ago the majority of patients were transferred by sea, 20 years ago, that would be 1988, oh yeah fees were much cheaper then, and the ships took longer but were more comfortable. Might be a good idea during the summer months, but what about the winter months, those three quarters of the year when most of the sailings are cancelled or take hours for a crossing. The DHSS should keep air travel for those patients that urgently need it and the ferry for those non-urgent transfers. This just another case of Mr Teare, the DHSS and the IOM Government trying to recover funds they've managed to lose elsewhere due to their own stupidity and lack of thought process. What's next? Will we have to pay a fare for an ambulance to take us to hospital or be charged a fee for staying in hospital.
TIM K

Unreliable, expensive "service", on top of feeling ill – and then you've got to contend with sea-sickness and the drunk for the best part of 3 hours too!? What a mess!
STEVE

There is not much wrong with the flights to Chester. The only disadvantage is for patients for somewhere like Walton as it adds up to an hour in the taxi for sometimes quite ill patients, but for most Liverpool hospitals its quicker or about the same. I am a bit fed up of hearing the complaint that there are no toilets on board the Manx2 flights. Ive been accompanying my wife for treatment at Walton and Clatterbridge for four years and have never seen anyone use the toilets on board, and the same people who whine about it are then perfectly happy to spend up to an hour or more in the taxi without worrying about their bladder. Admittedly Hawarden is small and not ideally geared up for passengers but Manx2 staff do a great job in conjunction with the Bridgewater Taxi boys and everything is quick, easy and far less hassle than the trauma of going through the system at Liverpool John Lennon. And as for putting the taxi service up for tender? I thought that had been sorted out? Bridgewater do a fantastic job and have built their business around the needs of the Manx health service patients. They are always friendly, get to know you by name, willing to get wheelchairs or help out to and from buildings (something certain other firms wouldn't do) and generally bend over backwards to get you where you need to be. My wife is far more relaxed now that its solely Bridgewater because she knows they can cope with her disabilities in a caring and friendly way and she can trust them to get her where she needs to be.
AG, Ramsey

I,m no longer living on the island, but would worry if a member of my family ( who still live on the island ) had to travel to get medical care on the mainland, to go by sea. Those people , especially those receiving cancer treatments , would probably be suffering from the treatment, have to then face a 2 ½ hr ferry crossing. NO THANKS. It still amazes me that millions were spent on a brand new hospital, with what was said were state of the art facilities, WELL USE THEM.
ANON

I have to agree with 'anon' our daughter has been receiving regular weekly treatment at alderhay since she was born 3 months ago and needs this for the foreseeable future, a sea trip of up to 2 and a half hours or over is going to be a right pain because of her age. Bridgewater taxis have done a sterling job up to now so why change? Also Chester or Liverpool? Its still a lot quicker than the boat! Also the staff at nobles have done a great job in the childrens ward and the Jane crookall, its just a shame we don't have the right staff for our ultra modern hospital, after visiting alderhay this week, our consultant there said he couldn't believe the amount of complaints he gets from patients about the lack of treatment for various ailments people have and if anything patients should be sent from England to here for treatment!
ANON

I think it's important we don't take Mr Teare's comments too literally yet. I'm sure he means that the fastcraft Mananan opens up an opportunity for a level of the transfers to go by sea. For example. I'm a perfectly healthy individual but as my step daughter has Cystic Fibrosis, I was required to go to Alder Hey to have tests carried out to see if I carried a certain gene as there can be issues if we were to have a second child with CF. For this journey I could have easily gone by sea. Given a choice, I would choose air as I prefer flying to sailing. I am sure there are many other visits for routine checks, tests and other requirements where the patient would be able to travel by fastcraft. The flights however are the most effective way to transport patients, especially those who are in need of a minimal travel experience because of the illness etc. Maybe the DHSS may offer sea as an alternative for those who wish to take it?
ANON

When did the sea crossing between Liverpool and Douglas last take 2.5 hours. As advertised in their brochures crossings times to Liverpool 2.5 hours. The last time I travelled to Liverpool in a similar time to that now advertised (2.5 hours) would have been on the old S.S. Manxman many years ago (late 50's early 60's) trying to make landfall ahead of bad weather, now they just don't go to Liverpool in any more than a force 6. My self and family travelled back home on the New Manannan last Monday and the vessel appeared spacious and very comfortable, but the weather was perfect. My concern would be for the patients that need urgent transfer, or would that be still provided by air transfer? We keep hearing "the new fastcraft" yes it is new (to Manx waters) but any faster? I would doubt it as running cost is higher (crew's wages, larger crew, fuel consumption etc.) so no doubt it will be ran slower to save fuel and costs. Sorry for the rant!
TREVOR