Medics say they are ‘deeply concerned’ about proposed further reductions to elective surgery sessions.
Its letter reads: ‘IoMMS is deeply concerned about the proposed further reductions to elective surgery sessions.
‘While we recognise the financial challenges facing Manx Care, we strongly oppose these cuts due to their detrimental impact on patient care.’
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A leaked internal email from Manx Care management says a year-end overspend of £5.76m is forecast and warns that elective theatre sessions will need to be reduced from 25 to 20 per week starting this November if urgent savings aren’t found.
Manx Care bosses insist they are not planning on reducing the number of patients who will be seen - but are trying to make better, more productive use of theatre time to fit in more patients.
But the IoMMS said elective operations are vital for improving patients' quality of life, and reducing these sessions will lead to ‘prolonged suffering, increased morbidity, and potential life-threatening complications’.
‘Moreover, these reductions will exacerbate existing delays in cancer services, where Manx Care is already struggling to meet key targets,’ it added.
‘The growing backlog of elective surgeries will further strain our healthcare system and demoralise our dedicated medical staff.’
Medics said they were particularly troubled by the lack of consultation with clinical stakeholders in making these decisions.
‘We call on the Manx Care board to reconsider these proposed reductions and engage with us in constructive dialogue to find sustainable solutions that prioritise patient well-being,’ their letter concludes.
Manx Care is already reporting a £1.2m deficit for the first two months of the current year.
A board meeting was told last month that it was forecasting to be £2m in the red by the end of the financial year even after using all of the £10m contingency fund allocated by Treasury.
But a leaked email marked as ‘urgent’ talks of a projected year-end overspend of £5,761,000.
It highlights a significant shortfall in the delivery of savings plans and warns that current expenditure cannot be sustained.
In a statement, Manx Care said it regrets that the ‘internal email was shared outside of its intended context’.
It said: ‘There are no reductions to the number of planned patients going through surgical theatres.
‘Operating theatre utilisation is one of the highest cost areas within hospital services, at approximately £25 per minute.
‘Therefore, the care group is looking to improve efficiency of theatre utilisation, without reducing the number of patients being treated.
‘The mention of a “reduction in elective activity” does not refer to a reduction in the number of patients treated. It instead refers specifically to the number of theatre sessions available (typically consisting of a four-hour block).
‘By increasing productivity in this space, with more patients going through each theatre session wherever possible, we reduce spending while maintaining, and in some areas improving, service delivery.’
Manx Care said it was important to point out that this related only to the Critical Care, Theatres, Anaesthetics and Surgery (CCTAS) Care Group, and does not apply to Manx Care’s overall budget.
‘This means that opportunities to create savings in other areas will offset the costs of heavily patient-facing services,’ it added.
No changes to elective theatre sessions will take place before November 2025.
The arm’s length healthcare provider has been overspent in every year of its existence.
Tynwald last month voted to approve £15.3m of extra funding to cover Manx Care’s budget shortfall in 2024-25.
In January, Manx Care’s board approved a raft of cost-saving measures including reducing elective care both on and off the island. But the DHSC vetoed the plans and 11th hour Treasury funding allowed some routine outpatient activity and some operations to be reinstated.