The first orthopaedic procedures have been done at Noble’s Hospital with private health company Synaptik.

This comes as part of a ‘Restoration and Recovery of Elective Activity’ programme – an initiative to cut waiting list times.

In the first week of the programme, nine patients received their surgery – five having knee replacements and four having hip replacements – with seven of them being discharged home the next day.

In the current phase of the programme (April 20 to May 14), 49 operations will take place.

The operations include hip and knee replacements, and foot and shoulder procedures. The patients receiving their surgery have been prioritised according to their length of time waiting for surgery and clinical need.

A further programme of orthopaedic activity is planned to begin following the TT fortnight, subject to the approval of funding by Treasury.

If funding is approved, this aims to deliver around 66 procedures in four-week blocks. There are currently around 500 individuals waiting for orthopaedic surgery in the island.

Manx Care and Synaptik are working together, with staff including reception teams, ward co-ordinators, nurses, theatre staff, an anaesthetist and therapists being provided by both organisations.

The surgeons leading the operations across the first four-week block work for Manx Care, with activity being delivered at the private patients unit on the Noble’s Hospital site.

Joan Walker, a Ramsey resident, was the first patient to receive her surgery last week, and even managed to walk from the front door of the private patients unit to her daughter’s car to return home the day after her operation.

She said: ‘Everyone was wonderful. The team explained everything to me and were very comforting, so I wasn’t frightened.

‘I had my surgery around lunchtime, then after a short time in recovery, had a sandwich and a cup of tea and was on my way home so quickly after that. Thank you to everyone involved in my care – I can’t fault them.’

Teresa Cope, chief executive of Manx Care, added: ‘The model of care we’re using works incredibly well, as demonstrated by our recent work to deliver cataract procedures in this way.

‘I am hopeful that the business case that we have submitted to Treasury to secure the funding to continue with this programme of work will be supported.

‘It’s important to re-emphasise that the work being carried out under the dedicated Restoration and Recovery of elective activity programme in order to reduce the lengthy waiting lists we inherited does not replace the work being carried out at Noble’s Hospital, but is supplementary to that.’