A Ramsey business owner says he has been left with ‘no time to prepare’ after the temporary closure of Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital forced him to overhaul his company’s opening hours.

Tyre Mann, based in the north of the island, announced the changes after learning that director Ian Inchley will have to undergo his renal dialysis treatment at Noble’s Hospital instead of the Cottage Hospital for at least the next four months.

The change means appointments will now take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings, leaving him unable to maintain the firm’s usual working day.

It follows Manx Care’s confirmation earlier this month that Ramsey Cottage Hospital will close for around 16 weeks from December 15 while extensive pest control and remedial works are carried out.

A range of services, including renal, minor injuries and multiple outpatient clinics, will be relocated to Noble’s Hospital, Douglas-based community health centres and other hubs until at least the end of April 2026 as a result.

‘The renal patients on our ward were given less than two weeks’ notice, and the staff there only had a tiny bit longer than that,’ Mr Inchley said.

‘They have had to work out new schedules so they can try and squeeze everyone in, so the times I have my dialysis have changed from afternoon sessions to a new evening shift.

‘This means instead of being at Ramsey Cottage at 12.30pm and finishing by 5pm, I will now need to be at Noble’s at 5.30pm and will not finish until 10pm.

‘Because I will not be getting home until very late at night, starting work at 9am will no longer be an option. And because of transport arrangements for my wife, Barbie, to get home from work, staying open until 5pm every day is also not possible.’

The business introduced new opening hours from Monday (December 15). It will now operate from 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.

Mr Inchley added: ‘Manx Care have had these works in the pipeline for quite some time and only decided to tell patients last week.

‘Business owners like myself, who quite literally have to work around my treatment, have not had any time to prepare for this.

‘As someone who is struggling with kidney failure, my energy is already very limited, and with the extra travelling time this is going to be hard work to keep up.’

Manx Care has reiterated that its aim is to ensure patients receive the ‘highest quality of care’.

‘This includes making sure the facilities we use and the treatments we deliver are safe and meet the needs of our patients,’ a spokesperson said.

‘To continue offering essential renal dialysis safely, we must temporarily relocate the service to Noble’s until the RDCH remediation work is completed.

‘We will resume normal services as soon as possible and are working closely with our community to minimise disruption. We are grateful to our government and charity partners for their support and encourage all patients to contact MCALS if they require additional advice or support.’