We’ve had cuts to Meals of Wheels and planned changes to prescription charges.

And last week cash-strapped health chiefs announced the end to the free home cleaning service for those needing social care support.

Now it has emerged the Department of Health and Social Care has come up with another cost-cutting measure that may hit the elderly and vulnerable - the withdrawal of free incontinence pads to residents in the island’s private residential homes as from January 31.

The move, which will affect some 120 people and save just £40,000 a year, comes as health managers revealed that the DHSC was looking at a £7m-£8.5m overspend this year, while Noble’s Hospital was heading to be £10.2million to £11million over-budget.

Caroline Hughes, manager at the Sunnydale Care Home in Stanley View, Douglas, said there had been no consultation about ending the supply of free incontinence pads.

She said: ’It’s pretty shocking. The majority of residents will use some kind of continence product. So the cost will be quite substantial over the year. At the end of day it will mean fees will have to increase.’

A pack of 12 pull-up incontinence pads cost £3.90 but bigger ones will be more expensive.

Most residential homes and nursing homes in the island are privately-run. Around half of the people currently in such homes are on income support.

In a letter to the homes, the DHSC’s community health services manager Cathy Glover explained that free continence products had previously been supplied to private residential homes but not to government homes or nursing homes.

She said these products will no longer be supplied to any care home, ’bringing all facilities into line and providing clarity for staff and patients’.

Specialist continence assessment and advice will continue to be provided, she added.

The DHSC said it had updated its policy in line with recent changes under the Regulation of Care Act which reclassified homes designated ’residential’ or ’nursing’ as ’care homes’.

Regulations state all homes must be equipped for the needs of their residents.

At the end of last week the DHSC announced it was ending the home cleaning contract with Minister Kate Beecroft’s Manx Home Care company in early January.

There are some 122 needing social care support who currently use the service, getting one hour of cleaning a week.

They have been told that the contract will not be tendered for again and so the free service will stop. The move will save £140,000 a year.

Users will be contacted over the next six weeks to assess whether their needs have become more complex and whether a further assessment for social care support is needed.

Yesterday, DHSC finance director David Catlow and director of hospital service Mike Quinn gave evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on the hospital overspend.

The department has exceeded its allocated budget for two years running, requiring extra Tynwald funding approval totalling £20m. It was given £11m of extra funding in this year’s Budget, but is having to find a further £11m in savings.

Mr Catlow told the PAC: ’The department still faces extreme financial challenge.

’The outlook is looking very difficult for us. As a department, I think our central forecast is somewhere between £7m and £8.5m overspent. We have a demand-led service. We’ve still got to go through winter.’

He said the year-end forecast is for Noble’s to be over-budget by £10.2m to £11m. The overall department overspend is lower as other areas are under-spent.

Mr Catlow said with the financial year end still some way off, the final overspend could be lower - or higher. Progress had been made but it had been harder than anticipated to deliver the savings, he said.

Mr Quinn said 80% of the overspend related to pay, largely due to the locum bill.