Health bosses have today brought in new restrictions as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 spreads rapidly.
They have cancelled most outpatient appointments.
Manx Care is making changes due to what it says is the current level of community spread of the virus and subsequent limits on available staff.
Yesterday, official government statistics showed there were more than 1,800 active cases of Covid-19 in the community.
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Today(New Year’s Eve) all outpatient appointments have been cancelled, except for those which are clinically urgent.
From Tuesday, January 4, all appointments, where clinically appropriate, will be converted to telephone appointments wherever possible. This will be for an initial period of two weeks.
Manx Care, which runs day-to-day health services in the Isle of Man, says that patients who haven’t been contacted should attend their appointment as normal. All those affected by the changes will be contacted by a member of the Manx Care team.
Although Manx Care has been able to allow visiting across the hospitals and care settings for several months, the ’significant increase’ in levels of Covid-19 in the community, and subsequent impact on staffing levels across Manx Care, means it has made the 'difficult decision’ to suspend visiting across hospitals and some social care settings for an initial period of two weeks (with the exception of learning disability residential settings).
In exceptional circumstances only, for example when the patient is receiving end-of-life care, following assessment and agreement from the clinical team, essential visitors may be permitted.
More information on what constitutes an ’essential visitor’, and precautions that must be taken if visiting, will be available on the Manx Care website today.
Residential Care Homes for older people will also be impacted by this change, closing to non-essential visitors for an initial period of 14 days from 8am today (New Year's Eve).
The homes affected are operated by Adult Social Care, and include:
Reayrt Ny Baie - Douglas
Southlands - Port St Mary
Cummal Mooar - Ramsey
Langness/Gansey - Port St Mary
Thie Meanagh/Sweetbriar - Douglas
Reayrt Skyal - Ramsey
As part of the Manx Care residential homes visitor policy, the organisation will adopt the essential care giver protocol on a case by case basis.
All day service provision for older people will remain open. However, some operational adjustments may be necessary.
Visiting to Learning Disabilities community houses and the operation of Learning Disabilities Day Services will remain unaffected.
A spokesman said: ’Whilst we recognise that friends and family members are a vital support to all of those receiving inpatient and residential services by Manx Care, the utmost care and consideration must be given to the safety of other patients and staff by maintaining infection prevention and control procedures at all times.
’Thank you for your understanding and co-operation over recent months as we have worked to protect the people in our care from potential exposure to Covid-19.’
Manx Care chief executive Teresa Cope said: ’We understand that these changes may be difficult for those affected. However, this is a temporary measure which we have put in place to protect our community, and we will be regularly reviewing the situation.’