A charity behind the Isle of Man’s newly refurbished hyperbaric oxygen therapy centre has rejected a £90,000-a-year government funding offer.

HBOT IOM says the sum would not allow it to provide the 24-hour, 365-day emergency service required by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for diving casualties.

The charity has urged the Government to reconsider, describing hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a ‘life-saving and life improving’ service rather than a ‘nice to have’.

HBOT IOM has spent around £1.5 million refurbishing and equipping its centre on Peel Road, Douglas, and says it registered with the department at significant cost.

In an open letter to Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian, vice-chairman Ken Kinrade said the £90,000 offer was ‘clearly not feasible or sustainable’.

The charity says the figure was based on the estimated cost of sending two diving casualties to England for treatment and does not reflect the cost of maintaining a round-the-clock emergency service on the island.

HBOT IOM had sought more than £750,000 in annual funding and says satisfactory support would allow it to offer routine treatment for up to 200 patients a year at no additional cost.

It believes this could help reduce costs and waiting lists for Manx Care.

Mr Kinrade described the Government’s offer as ‘exceptionally frustrating and disappointing’.

The charity’s open letter states: ‘This is not a “nice to have” service but is a life-saving and life improving service.’

HBOT IOM says its proposed service could treat conditions beyond decompression illness and gas or air embolisms, including carbon monoxide poisoning, certain serious wounds and infections, crush injuries, burns and sudden hearing loss.

However, the DHSC previously told the charity there was ‘currently insufficient evidence’ to support commissioning the full range of proposed treatments or underwriting the centre’s full annual operating costs.

HBOT IOM disputes that position, arguing insufficient weight has been given to thousands of patients treated at the island facility over several decades.

It points to six hyperbaric centres in England which, it says, have been contracted by NHS England to provide emergency treatment for diving casualties and gas or air embolisms at a cost of around £1.3 million each.

The charity says it was seeking just over half that amount while also offering routine treatments for up to 200 patients.

HBOT IOM has warned that without an improved funding agreement, it may withdraw its offer to provide emergency treatment for diving casualties.

It says patients could then require emergency transport to a chamber in Birkenhead, with Hull, Aberdeen or Plymouth potential alternatives if that facility was unavailable.

The charity says delays in treating decompression illness can have serious consequences.

It may also move to a self-referral and contribution-based service if an agreement cannot be reached and is calling on the next administration to review the decision.

A DHSC spokesperson said: ‘Department of Health and Social Care officers remain in detailed dialogue with the charity and engagement will continue as matters are considered by the next administration.

‘Due to pre-election restrictions designed to retain impartiality and avoid causing any distraction from candidates’ campaigns, the Isle of Man Government is unable to comment further at this stage.’