The government is looking for someone to lead a transformation of the island’s health and care system.

A team behind the transformation scaled back its public engagement work during the coronavirus pandemic but now it’s getting back on track.

Work began last year to establish Manx Care, separate from the Department of Health and Social Care, which will be responsible for wider policy and strategy.

The creation of Manx Care is the main recommendation of Sir Jonathan Michael’s landmark report about the system, and a public consultation inviting feedback on legislation to establish the body was underway before the pandemic.

The Manx Care Bill will this month go before the House of Keys for the first time.

This is a significant step towards creating a new statutory health and care organisation in the Isle of Man, responsible for all service delivery.

Now recruitment has begun for an independent non-executive chair for Manx Care. He or she will be responsible for ensuring transformed health and social care services are delivered for the people of the island.

It is the first in a series of important appointments to the new board.

Minister for Health and Social Care David Ashford said: ’It’s pleasing to see the transformation programme becoming more visible on many fronts.

’Work continued as far as possible during the pandemic, despite the focus of colleagues being diverted elsewhere. The timetable has been adjusted slightly but the way forward remains clear.

’We are aiming for Manx Care to operate in shadow form from the start of January 2021, only three months later than planned, with the new landmark body due to "go live" as originally planned from April 2021.’

He added: ’The coronavirus crisis made us find new ways of doing things, under pressure and at pace. We maintained and developed essential services while dealing with a global health crisis, learning a great deal about making swift and necessary changes to care delivery in a way we could never have predicted.

’The transformation programme and the department are working together to incorporate some of the changes which served our people well into the wider transformation of service delivery.

’The programme will benefit from the determination of staff and the public to achieve lasting and progressive reforms to our treasured health and care services.’

The first annual report of the Health and Care Transformation Programme will be presented to Tynwald in July.