Health Minister Kate Beecroft has attempted to ’set the record straight’ following evidence given by opponents of the decision to centralise endoscopy services at Noble’s Hospital.

As this week’s Manx Independent reports, Mrs Beecroft appeared before the Social Affairs Policy Review Committee on Tuesday, just days after representatives of Ramsey Cottage Hospital welfare trustees gave evidence, followed by Leonard Singer, chairman of the hospital’s League of Friends.

The minister repeated her assertion that the decision was taken to reduce waiting list times caused by splitting the service across two hospitals and said she needed to ’set the record straight on a number of matters in light of evidence given on this subject last week’.

She rejected claims that endoscopy doctors were not consulted.

’Consultation and discussion did take place with the doctors responsible for delivering the gastroenterology endoscopy service and, I am advised, they fully supported the proposal given the urgency of the situation,’ said Mrs Beecroft.

’Likewise, consultation took place with operational managers at Noble’s Hospital.’

The committee is investigating the controversial decision to stop providing endoscopy procedures at Ramsey Cottage Hospital and centralise services at Noble’s Hospital. Health chiefs say some people were waiting 33 weeks for a procedure and there were 157 patients whose follow-up procedures were overdue, delays which risked a ’crisis’ for patient safety.

This week, Mrs Beecroft reaffirmed assurances the operating theatre at Ramsey had not closed.

’The only theatre activity that has transferred from Ramsey is endoscopies and the nursing staff who provided this service at Ramsey are "visiting" Noble’s Hospital to deliver the service there,’ said Mrs Beecroft.

’Their base remains Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, and their oral surgery and dermatology surgery duties in Ramsey have not changed.’

The minister insisted: ’At no stage have I or officers implied that endoscopies carried out at Ramsey or the hospital’s endoscopy facilities there are unsafe.’

She ruled out the possibility of a ’further waiting list initiative’ to deal with the problem caused by delays.

’We must be realistic. Waiting list initiatives are only sustainable if a way to increase capacity or reduce demand in the long term has been identified.

’Otherwise, as soon as a list is cleared and a service reverts to its business as usual capacity, the list once again begins to build up.’

Such initiatives were normally carried out by bringing in additional staff or paying for extra hours, which would be ’cost-prohibitive’.

The Department of Health and Social Care had a £10 million savings target, she said.

’The solution implemented delivers greater capacity, within existing resource at a time of significant financial pressures.’

Mrs Beecroft added: ’Mention was made last week by Mr Singer of 10 capsule endoscopy sets in stock at Ramsey now being out of date. This is odd, as there was an average of one capsule procedure a week in 2016/17.

’I have asked for further information and will report back to the committee when I have it.’

The endoscopy equipment that was transferred from Ramsey Cottage Hospital to Noble’s Hospital is nearing the end of its working life.

During his evidence, Mr Singer said the equipment from Ramsey had ended up in a cupboard. That was flatly denied by DHSC chief executive Dr Malcolm Couch.

When questioned by committee chairman David Cretney MLC, Dr Couch confirmed that the equipment moved from Ramsey - that welfare trustees funded to the tune of £340,000, with some contribution also from the League of Friends - would need replacing soon.

’Yes, it is reaching the end of its life,’ he said.

He said he did not have an accurate figure for how much it would cost - or exactly when it would need to be replaced - but, ’informally’, a figure of £750,000 had been mentioned