Manx Care is launching the island’s second ’Wellbeing Partnership’ tomorrow (Wednesday) in the south of the island.

It will be based in Thie Rosien in Port Erin (adjacent to the Southern Group Practice and Southlands Resource Centre). It will establish the provision of integrated community care for people living within the catchment area for the three GP practices in the south of the island (Southern Group Practice, Ballasalla Medical Centre and Castletown Medical Centre).

Access

It is aiming to ensure that people who need access to health and social care services can do so closer to their homes.

The partnership model has been developed by Manx Care, which says it represents a new way of working with third sector organisations to deliver health and social care services through a single point of referral.

Manx Care bosses say this will deliver better outcomes for Manx residents by ensuring there is better co-ordination of health and social care services closer to their homes that meet the needs of the local community.

The launch of the southern wellbeing partnership comes after the island’s first wellbeing partnership in the west, which was officially launched in February 2020 in Peel.

Similar initiatives are being developed in the north (Ramsey) and the east of the island to further improve access to community-based health and social care services for residents living in each area.

Although the southern wellbeing centre will be based in Port Erin, the partnership will provide a counter service initially for one day a week in Ballasalla (at the Malew Commissioners’ office on the Main Road).

It will also provide one day a month in Castletown (at the commissioners’ base in the Civic Centre on Farrants Way).

Manx Care bosses hope this will also increase to become a weekly service early in the New Year.