Noble’s Hospital is back to normal operating arrangements following ’significant’ bed pressures last week.

Last Monday, the hospital stated it was ’experiencing a significant volume of people attending its emergency department and is extremely busy’.

Teresa Cope, the chief executive of Manx Care, said this was due to an ’extremely busy’ weekend, which saw 52 patients admitted to the hospital over the weekend of November 6 and 7.

This meant they saw ’significant’ bed pressures on Monday, November 8, and Tuesday, November 9.

As a result, the hospital declared it was operating at ’OPEL Level 3’.

OPEL means ’Operational Pressures and Escalation Levels’ and is used by most hospitals.

It ranges from level one, which essentially means ’business as usual’ through to level four, which means ’severe pressure’.

Mrs Cope said: ’The OPEL framework requires us to have a series of actions both internal to the hospital and out into the community, and a key part of that is communicating our position.

’This is about being transparent, but also taking that opportunity to to remind everyone about the alternative services that exist, rather than people having to come to hospital.

’So there is absolutely nothing to be alarmed about, and OPEL 3 is pretty much what we would expect it to be during winter.’

She said that Noble’s Hospital was now operating at OPEL Level 2, which is close to ’business as usual’ arrangements.

Manx Care said that the minor injuries unit (MIU) at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital was always another option - if appropriate.

The team there can provide treatment for minor illnesses and injuries that require medical help, but do not need specialist support from the emergency department staff at Noble’s.

This includes things like burns and scalds, suspected breaks and dislocations, sprains, rashes and skin complaints, infections including eye and ear complaints, falls and emergency contraception.

The MIU is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

For immediate emergency treatment and advice, people should still call 999 and speak to the Emergency Services Joint Control Room.