An association aimed at improving the health and care system in the island says now is the time for a clean sweep and a new start.

The Isle of Man Health and Care Association (HACA) is calling on Tynwald members to use the Sir Jonathan Michael review reforms to draw a line under bad practice and bullying in the department.

HACA chairman Lynne Hulme, a retired GP, and director Dee Beldon, a retired mental health professional contacted us after we ran a story on a pre-hearing for a tribunal that heard accusations of bullying by senior managers including former chief executive Malcolm Couch and interim chief executive Angela Murray.

HACA is calling for the government to drive change in from the top of the department and to create a ’new emphasis on an open culture of transparency’.

It also urges the department to become ’patient centred’.

Dr Hulme told the Examiner the Department of Health and Social Care needs to ’draw a line’ and commit to a ’zero tolerance on bullying’.

She said the review presented a ’golden opportunity for a new broom at the top’ to take on the recommendations of the review.

Mrs Beldon added: ’No one has ever had such an opportunity. This really is a chance for the Council of Ministers to make their mark by creating a world class health service.’

She said HACA wants to see the implementation of the strategic plan including an ’operational plan for in and off island care’, essentially what treatments are done in the island and which ones aren’t.

And key to HACA is the creation of ’key performance indicators’ to judge the island’s healthcare service, which Dr Hulme and Mrs Beldon said should be of ’Rolls Royce’ quality. Dr Hulme said some people may be ’worried about’ making complaints as there are no other health providers available. But she said the HACA is there to help people with the process.

The HACA is keen to stress it has a good relationship with the department. Mrs Beldon said that by working together ’one person’s bad experience can be improved for the next person’s experience’.

Dr Hulme added: ’The hospital is more willing now to learn from its makes than it has been before and we have a very good relationship.

’It is not them and us, we are working together to improve the health service.’