Moving endoscopy services provided at Ramsey Cottage Hospital to Noble’s will reduce waiting times from 33 weeks to six weeks in a year says health minister Kate Beecroft.

But Ramsey Commissioners’ chairman Andy Cowie said that over 120 members of the public, Ramsey Town Commissioners, representatives of other local authorities, doctors and other medical professionals, as well a number of MHKs, were unanimous in their view at the conclusion of a requisition meeting that current endoscopy services provided in Ramsey should remain there.

The requisition meeting to discuss the future of Ramsey Cottage Hospital attracted around 140 people on Tuesday.

The meeting, held at Bunscooil Rhumsaa, was attended by minister Kate Beecroft, chief executive Dr Malcolm Couch. divisional manager Mike Quinn, all from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), as well as League of Friends’ chairman Leonard Singer.

We previously reported how a decision by the DHSC to move the endoscopy service from Ramsey Cottage Hospital to Noble’s Hospital had caused controversy.

After the meeting Ms Beecroft said: ’I was happy for the opportunity to explain the department’s plans to cut endoscopy waiting times from 33 weeks to six weeks, in person. Residents in Ramsey care deeply about the cottage hospital, which is a national asset for the whole island. I remain firmly of the view that consolidating endoscopy services at Noble’s Hospital to reduce waiting time is the right thing to do for patients. The current waiting times are unacceptable and unsafe in some aspects.’

Commissioners’ chairman Andy Cowie said afterwards: ’A primary reason for the change in the location of the endoscopy service was stated as being that of "patient safety" but the department were not willing to disclose to the meeting the precise nature of their concerns in this respect.

’The minister also kindly offered to provide details of the business case to the commissioners for onward circulation to attendees.

’Assurances were also provided that the staff would be encouraged to continue to operate at the RDCH outside the functions necessary for the endoscopy clinics at Nobles and that there were plans to extend the dermatology clinics at the RDCH.’

’The attendees, who comprised over 120 members of the public, Ramsey Town Commissioners, representatives of other local authorities, doctors and other medical professionals as well a number of MHKs were unanimous in their view at the conclusion of the meeting that "the endoscopy unit should be restored to Ramsey Cottage Hospital until such time as a sustainable plan for future working with the unit at Nobles can be agreed with all parties."

At the requisition meeting Mr Cowie had addressed the attendees saying: ’The main concern seems to centre around the function of the unit, which undertakes some 500 operations a year and whether this number of operations can be undertaken at Noble’s Hospital, even with two extra staff who would be transferred.

’It does seem strange to me as an outsider that in these times of increasing waiting lists we would choose to close a unit whose operation was commended by the West Midlands Quality Review Service.

’There is also significant concern that there was no consultation with staff, with the League of Friends, or the trustees, or any of the interested stakeholders, or the public and there are concerns that no business case has been presented to break up the team at Ramsey.

’It has been stated that the operating theatre is not being closed, however, it would appear that in reality there are no staff to run it and personnel would have to be sent from Douglas to man the theatre.’

Ms Beecroft told the meeting: ’As I have said the future of the hospital is secure, that fact should not be in doubt ï?· The issue at hand is the change the department is making to endoscopy services on the island, some of which have operated from Ramsey.

’In the Isle of Man between 2006 and 2016 demand for endoscopies rose by 85 per cent from 1,788 in 2006 to 3,317 in 2016.

’It is for this reason - the huge surge in demand - that the Department built a new endoscopy suite at Noble’s Hospital, which opened last September.

’If you were referred today for a routine endoscopy by your GP - you would likely wait on average at least 33 weeks - that’s eight months: for a test, let alone any diagnosis or treatment. The target in England for routine endoscopies is just six weeks.

’Over 1,650 people in the Isle of Man are currently waiting for an endoscopy - that’s around one in 50 of our population.

’One of the biggest issues is the fact that doctors based at Noble’s Hospital have to travel to Ramsey to operate the endoscopy clinics there.

’We estimate that in a year we are losing 300 procedure slots on average, because doctors are in a car instead of a hospital.

’So the first reason for the change to endoscopy services is so we can recoup these 300 procedure slots by seeing patients solely at Noble’s Hospital.

’On further examination, and bearing in mind that we know we are not as efficient as other endoscopy services in the UK, management and clinicians have looked at how we operate our endoscopy clinics.

’With the existing number of staff - doctors and nurses - we are confident that by changing how we work, we can run 18 clinics a week across all three endoscopy rooms, increasing our throughput.

’That’s an additional 16-20 hours of time in which we can see patients each week, up by around 40 per cent. ï?· But this is only possible if the nursing staff that run the three sessions in Ramsey are at Noble’s to provide their expertise and care.

’Based on this increased capacity we are confident that within a year we can clear the waiting list, and ensure that routine referrals are seen within six weeks.’

statement

On Monday, welfare trustees at the Ramsey Cottage Hospital hit out at the decision to move the endoscopy service and announced a moratorium on all future funding in protest.

They claimed that ’stripping’ the operating theatre of staff and equipment will ’effectively render it redundant’.

The trustees, who provide financial support to the hospital either through the trust itself or in association with other charities, pointed out that all of the endoscopy equipment had been funded from charitable sources and blasted the DHSC’s ’catastrophic communications failure’.

A statement from the trustees said: ’We reluctantly now place an immediate moratorium on all future funding, including that previously highlighted for this coming year.’

The hospital serves the north of the island, including the catchment area of the river in Laxey to Glen Wyllin.

Facilities include a minor injuries and illness unit, an inpatient ward, and services from physiotherapy to minor surgery.

We previously reported how a decision by the DHSC to move the endoscopy service from Ramsey Cottage Hospital to Noble’s Hospital had caused controversy.

After the meeting Ms Beecroft said: ’I was happy for the opportunity to explain the department’s plans to cut endoscopy waiting times from 33 weeks to six weeks, in person. Residents in Ramsey care deeply about the cottage hospital, which is a national asset for the whole island. I remain firmly of the view that consolidating endoscopy services at Noble’s Hospital to reduce waiting time is the right thing to do for patients. The current waiting times are unacceptable and unsafe in some aspects.’

’The attendees, who comprised over 120 members of the public, Ramsey Town Commissioners, representatives of other local authorities, doctors and other medical professionals as well a number of MHKs were unanimous in their view at the conclusion of the meeting that "the endoscopy unit should be restored to Ramsey Cottage Hospital until such time as a sustainable plan for future working with the unit at Nobles can be agreed with all parties."