Health Minister David Ashford has revealed that a trust organisation might help to fund the conversion of a Noble’s Hospital ward into the new chemotherapy suite.

The Department of Health and Social Care is turning the former ward five into a new chemotherapy suite.

Mr Ashford said: ’We are progressing with ward five, with the conversion.

’We have had indicated to us that a trust is willing to partner with us in helping to fund it ’

Talks are understood to be taking place, with an announcement to follow if confirmed.

The unit will have its own entrance and its own designated parking spaces, Mr Ashford confirmed.

Earlier this year, health chiefs turned down a £1.5 million offer from the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group to fund the building of a separate oncology and chemotherapy unit in the hospital grounds.

Mr Ashford was forced to explain that his department had ’considered carefully’ the offer from Manx Breast Cancer Support Group. The department said the group did not want to be involved in part-funding a scheme or funding the ward five conversion.

The department has stuck with its preferred option, which is to close ward five, a general medical ward, and convert it into a chemotherapy unit offering 10 treatment stations - an increase on the five currently provided in ward 20.

The DHSC said the conversion would offer more than the unit that was proposed by the charity, which expressed its disappointment at the decision and raised concern about the loss of the general medical beds.

But Mr Ashford said an extra 10 respite beds available at Ramsey Cottage Hospital plus improvements to the discharge procedure should offset the loss of the general bed spaces.

The converted unit will include single room facilities, a separate section of the ward to accommodate patients requiring haematology support, outpatient consulting rooms and patient interview space.

He added that using the former ward five ensured that the unit had close access to urgent medical support, should it ever be needed.

Meanwhile, Mr Ashford has moved to explain why health chiefs have turned down a more recent offer from the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group to buy new technology that is designed to help medical staff locate veins for IV insertions.

The charity offered to fund its purchase the equipment, that uses near-infrared light, for the new unit. Mr Ashford said the offer was appreciated, but health chiefs needed to first consider its effectiveness.

He said the technology was still being developed and added that visualisation of veins was not the only consideration.

’Even more important than visualisation is palpitation of the vein, which this technology does not help with,’ he said.

He pointed to a National Institute for Clinical Excellence study that pointed out that while visual inspection may be part of the process of identifying a suitable vein, ’it is the palpitation of that vein that is essential for deciding if cannulation should be attempted’.

He said two clinical trials of the product had shown ’no statistically significant difference’ in first attempt success rates or the time to successful cannulation between the standard method and the use of the device.

Mr Ashford did not rule out the possibility of introducing the technology if it developed further but added: ’While the charity’s offer was very laudable and their passion and enthusiasm is welcomed, the clinicians also need to take into account the actual benefit to patients and the medical risks associated with these products.’