A second whistleblower has come forward to raise concerns about the island’s acute mental health unit.

The member of staff, who did not wish to be named, told iomtoday: ’I’ve never known anything like it. There is going to be a death on the ward.’

They contacted iomtoday after we reported concerns over Manannan Court highlighted by a long-serving Department of Health and Social Care staff member.

That first whistleblower claimed the £7.2m unit, which only opened in 2017, was 'at breaking point’.

They alleged that self-harm is 'rife’ in the Harbour suite, with some clients ’acting up’ to stop being discharged and beds being 'hot swapped’ to accommodate the high number of patients, with the elderly ward next door used as an overspill.

The whistleblower claimed there is a staffing crisis with low morale, 14-hour shifts and high sickness absence.

For its part, the DHSC denies the claims of a unit at breaking point.

It says the figures for self harm for the past six months are substantially lower than has been alleged and an inspection found staff morale to be 'very good’. It said staffing has increased in the past year and sickness absence is covered by bank staff.

But the second member of staff said she totally agrees with the whistleblower’s account.

She claimed staff at Manannan Court are verbally and physically assaulted regularly and no debriefs are carried out following such incidents.

'Morale has never been so low,’ she said. 'I’ve never known it like it and it’s got worse. Alarms are going off all the time.

'Really ill patients are being ignored while those acting up get the attention - they need to be discharged. There is going to be a death on the ward.’

The second whistleblower claimed that recently heroin was found on the ward.

She said: 'There’s pressure on staff to come in early, work through your lunch break and then stay late.

'You can’t take your time back - you have to book it as overtime.

'Most staff are out of date on their mandatory training.’

She said that a lot of seriously ill patients are sent off-island at great expense but there is no rehabilitation for them on their return.

'It’s just so stretched. I put it down to the unit’s management,’ she said.

Margaret Woodward, whose daughter Aimee worked at the unit up to her sudden death in August 2017, has also contacted the Examiner. She said Aimee - who died suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest in Noble’s Hospital following an elective procedure - had been off sick from work with stress and anxiety.

Mrs Woodward said: 'She campaigned for a long time for better conditions. She had a lot of support from her union Prospect.

'Shifts were long, the ward was unsafe due to staffing issues and the morale was low.

'Aimee told me that she was expected to restrain violent patients and on occasions there was nobody to help her.

'Some patients needed one to one ’sitters’ and there were not enough staff to do this.’

Concerns about Manannan Court were raised shortly after its opening.

One parent whose daughter was in the unit told the Tynwald select committee investigating mental health provision that: ’I don’t believe Manannan Court is fit for purpose.

'Apart from corralling within numerous locked doors in one open plan, noisy communal area people with a wide range of severity of mental illness, it is an unfriendly over-the-top high security unit.’

They claimed inpatient provision has diminished, both in capacity and scope, since the opening of the facility.

Previously there were three inpatient wards: Grianagh Court for acute adult admissions, with a separate ward for the elderly, and Gedden Reesht, initially a recovery and rehabilitation unit but then broadened in scope to admit less acute patients

'Each ward had 12 beds, totalling 36,’ the parent explained.

'Manannan Court still has a separate wing for the elderly, but only 14 beds for adults.

'The former Gedden Reesht will have four beds for people unable to be discharged, and a long overdue unit for young people.

'This can’t be described as an increase in capacity.’

Meanwhile, the Mental Health Commission is urging patients and staff to get in touch if they have concerns.

In a statement, it said: ‘In light of recent press reports concerning Manannan Court, we at the Isle of Man Mental Health Commission (MHC), felt it was important to remind detained patients being cared for under the Mental Health Act, and all staff at Mannanan Court, that we can be contacted in complete confidence at any time with concerns they may have regarding patient care and safety.

‘As an independent body with members from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including independent psychiatrists from the UK and lay members, we exist to protect the rights and interests of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1998.

‘The MHC is independent of all staff and managers of the hospitals.

‘However, the crucial role staff play in the treatment of patients at Manannan Court means we are keen to discuss any concerns they have about patient welfare. We make unannounced visits throughout the year to ensure patients have access to the best care and services possible.’

Patients and staff can email [email protected]

* Since this report was first published in this week's Examiner, a third member of DHSC staff has contacted us to support the allegations made.