Manx Care is pausing recruitment, tightening restrictions on overtime and agency staff, and reviewing contracts and projects as it attempts to tackle its forecast £19.2m overspend.

An email sent to staff by interim chief executive Dr Chris Stockport outlines a series of spending restrictions being introduced through the organisation's Financial Sustainability Programme.

The measures include pausing recruitment where it is considered safe to do so, reviewing long-standing vacancies and introducing weekly checks on agency staffing.

The email, seen by Isle of Man Today, confirms: ‘We are pausing recruitment where it is safe to do so.’

It adds that essential and patient-facing positions will continue to be considered, with decisions taking account of the impact on safe care and service delivery.

Staff are also being told that overtime must be approved in advance and be considered essential.

Requests for additional shifts will be assessed against patient needs and safe staffing requirements, while agency bookings will be reviewed weekly to reduce the need for costly last-minute cover.

The email says weekly reviews of waiting times and staffing levels will help determine where agency cover is required.

Other areas facing scrutiny include training, purchasing, contracts and ongoing projects.

Mandatory, statutory and essential clinical training will continue, but other training, discretionary travel, furniture, hospitality and consultancy costs will be reviewed.

Manx Care also intends to identify unused software and products for cancellation, review major contracts for better value and consider pausing non-essential projects.

The email stresses that the spending controls do not automatically authorise changes to services.

It says any proposed service changes must undergo existing assessments covering patient safety, quality, staffing and operational risks before being approved.

Dr Chris Stockport has been appointed as the interim CEO of Manx Care
Dr Chris Stockport, interim CEO of Manx Care (-)

In a separate communication, seen by Isle of Man Today, staff were told of changes being made to bank shifts, with the length of available shifts being reduced.

Previously, early bank shifts ran from 7.30am until 3.30pm, while late shifts ran from 1pm until 9pm.

The revised arrangements are understood to shorten early shifts by one and a half hours and late shifts by one hour.

In a statement issued this morning, Manx Care described the figure as a prudent forecast based on pressures facing health and care services, including potential winter demand and some costs relating to previous financial years.

It also said the forecast did not include a £10m contingency provision which had not yet been drawn down.

In the statement, Dr Stockport said: ‘There is still a significant financial challenge and we cannot take our foot off the pedal.

‘We have to get the finances under control while continuing to provide safe care and improve access to services.

‘We expect the measures already introduced to reduce the forecast deficit over the remainder of the year.’

Isle of Man Today has contacted Manx Care for comment.