Some operations at the hospital have been cancelled because of bed shortages.

A number of elective procedures cannot go ahead following the closure of many residential homes across the island, which has had a knock-on effect at the hospital.

These operations were postponed on Wednesday and Tuesday at Noble’s Hospital as a result of ’general pressure across the hospital’ and will need to be rescheduled.

Manx Care, which runs health services on a day-to-day basis, says the primary reason for this is due to the fact some patients are required to go to an onwards care facility. At the moment they cannot be discharged from the hospital due to the temporary closures at a number of residential homes because of Covid-19 restrictions. Patients are currently occupying beds which are usually used for people undergoing elective surgery because of this ’delayed transfer of care’.

Many patients are waiting for a place to become available in a facility that is ’best placed to meet their ongoing care needs’.

This follows the extension of the temporary closure of a number of Manx Care’s residential homes for the elderly until Friday. Reayrt-ny-Baie in Douglas will remain closed until August 20.

The closure of this particular care home occurred after an outbreak of Covid-19 transpired in the home which impacted both residents and staff.

Many of the care homes aren’t accepting new admissions or visitors due to the number of Covid cases in the island. Some privately-operated facilities are also closed to admissions.

Manx Care has said the bed capacity at the hospital has remained under constant review and has been closely managed.

The health care provider also stated the decision to go ahead with the cancellations hadn’t been ’taken lightly’ and procedures would be rescheduled as soon as possible ’in line with the clinical need of the patient’.