There’s been a ‘concerning’ increase in the number of complaints made about the island’s health and social care services, a new report reveals.

Manx Care’s Annual Complaints and Duty of Candour Report for 2024-2025 show there were 443 complaints recorded across directly managed services, compared to 263 the previous year.

The most frequently complained about subjects were clinical treatment (17%), values and behaviour (15%) and access to treatment (12%).

There were particularly notable increases in the number of complaints from surgery, theatres, critical care and anaesthetics (up 108%), children and adult social care (up 89%), medicine, urgent care and ambulance (up 68%), and integrated mental health (up 50%).

The Department of Health and Social Care described the increase in complaints as ‘concerning’.

Delays in surgery, cancellations, waiting-list backlog, and access to cardiology and gastroenterology were among the prime drivers for complaints.

There was a surge in complaints linked to staff behaviour - up 19% from 2023-24.

The Emergency Department at Noble’s was originally designed for 20,000 patients annually but is now managing nearly 44,000.

This has led to multiple complaints - a total of 17 - relating to excessive waiting times, as well as inadequate care environment for vulnerable patients and delays in diagnostics and admission handovers.

The report is one of two to be laid before this month’s Tynwald sitting which examining how complaints about health and social care services are handled.

The other one is from the independent Health and Social Care Ombudsman Body which says it received 29 new complaints during the year and issued 27 decision notices.

HSCOB also completed and issued 19 review reports.

The DHSC said it will continue to maintain close oversight of complaints and how they are handled.

Health Minister Claire Christian said that while there are certain challenges, there was a ‘positive picture of ongoing improvement’.