The man who’s been drafted in to help to fix the island’s health service has begun work.

Andrew Foster is the first chair of Manx Care.

Manx Care was created after the Isle of Man Government’s decided to transform the island’s health and social care system, which will include the creation of a new arm’s-length delivery organisation for integrated health and social care services.

The health service has been spending over budget for years and a number of ministers and chief executives have failed to solve the fundamental problems.

So a new approach is being taken.

Mr Foster’s appointment is part of the Health and Care Transformation Programme, within the Department of Health and Social Care, to deliver on the 26 recommendations set out in Sir Jonathan Michael’s independent review of the Isle of Man’s health and social care system.

Sir Jonathan, as independent adviser to this programme, helped the department deciding to appoint Mr Foster.

The Department of Health and Social Care said that Mr Foster stood out among a high-quality range of applicants because of his ’extensive leadership and managing experience of significant change projects within the UK health and care sector’.

Mr Foster has worked in UK health and care bodies in both non-executive and executive roles, including a number of chief executive roles in NHS foundation trusts.

Most recently he has taken on a number of roles for NHS England including as executive lead for leadership.

The department says he has extensive experience in supporting the delivery of critical services to the public and is adept at change management. He has also worked across numerous UK large organisations.

David Ashford MHK, Minister for Health and Social Care, added: ’I welcome Mr Foster to this new and exciting role. He is joining us as massive changes are underway and will help steer us through uncharted territory that ultimately will benefit the Manx population.

’I am confident we have chosen someone who will understand our people and environment and help us bring Manx Care to fruition.’

Mr Foster said: ’I have always been interested in the link between high-performing organisations and people management and see this role as an exciting and challenging use of my skills.

’I intend to use all my knowledge to deliver Manx Care to the people of the Isle of Man.

’I have mainly lived and worked across the North West of England in the healthcare arena so I look forward to working with the team in the island.’

Manx Care will become responsible for the day-to-day delivery of health and care services with the department being responsible for the formulation of policy, strategy and legislation.

The process of the recruitment and appointment of the four other non-executive Manx Care board members plus the chief executive officer is continuing.

These changes are aimed at creating sustainable health and care services.

Manx Care will come into full operation on April 1.