Tynwald will be asked to approve additional funding for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) after it went £20.8m over budget during the last financial year.

The supplementary vote, due to be brought before members next month by Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian, includes £19 million in revenue funding and £1.8 million in capital funding based on the year-end financial position as of March 31.

The largest single pressure came from staffing costs, accounting for £12.2 million of the additional spending.

According to the department, Manx Care faced increased demand across emergency care, acute hospital services, mental health and community care settings, while vacancies and recruitment difficulties meant greater reliance on bank, locum and on-call staff to maintain safe staffing levels.

Other financial pressures included higher spending on complex care for patients with long-term conditions, increased mental health placements, rising costs for specialist UK treatment, medical motorsport provision, prison healthcare and the air ambulance service.

However, Manx Care said it still achieved £9.9 million in efficiency savings during 2025-26, exceeding its mandated two percent savings target.

The department and Manx Care are now working on a Financial Recovery Programme for 2026-27 aimed at reducing any future overspend.

Minister Claire Christian said the supplementary vote reflected the significant pressures facing the island’s healthcare system.

She said: ‘This supplementary vote reflects the very real pressures being experienced across our health and care system, driven by increased demand, workforce challenges and the rising cost of delivering safe, high-quality services.

‘I want to recognise the significant efforts made by Manx Care and the Department to manage these pressures responsibly, including delivering on efficiency targets and improving financial governance and oversight.’

The capital element of the supplementary vote will support the first phase of the Endoscopy Modernisation Programme at Noble’s Hospital.

The programme is intended to strengthen on-island cancer diagnostic and emergency endoscopy services while reducing the need to send patients off-island for treatment.