Health Minister Claire Christian has insisted that ‘no patient will be left without palliative and end of life care that they need’ following last week’s announcement that Hospice Isle of Man is planning redundancies amid growing financial pressures.

Delivering an urgent statement in the House of Keys on Tuesday morning, the minister sought to reassure members and the public that the charity’s ‘essential core services are protected and will continue to be protected’, despite what she described as ‘a time of understandable worry’.

Hospice confirmed late last week it has been operating at a deficit for the past six years, citing rising costs, an ageing population and comparatively low levels of government funding.

The charity said a number of roles would be made redundant as part of plans to reduce costs and refocus services to secure its long-term future.

Mrs Christian told members that government ‘remains a committed partner’ of the hospice, which she described as ‘the island’s sole provider of specialist palliative and end of life care’.

She added: ‘Manx Care and hospice will work together to ensure that no patient will be left without palliative and end of life care that they need.’

The minister confirmed that a three-week voluntary redundancy process is currently under way, meaning she was ‘not in a position to provide further specifics regarding changes to services’ at this stage.

However, she said core services, including inpatient care, Hospice at Home and specialist nursing, as well as Rebecca House children’s hospice, would be prioritised and protected.

Figures outlined in the statement showed government funding accounts for around 24% of the hospice’s total income, with the remaining 75% raised through donations, fundraising and legacies.

Mrs Christian said that while these figures are ‘arithmetically correct’, comparisons with the UK and Jersey ‘must be treated with caution’ due to differing funding models.

She stated that government funding equates to around 37% of core clinical staffing costs and confirmed the hospice will receive £1.8 million in 2026-27, up from £1.755 million in the current financial year.

The minister also highlighted that more than £900,000 in additional funding had been introduced over a three-year period from 2022 following an independent review, alongside inflationary uplifts and indirect support such as clinical supplies.

During supplementary questions, Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper pressed the minister on whether funding levels would change, while Jason Moorhouse sought clarification on whether financial support for the coming year was fixed.

Ms Christian confirmed the £1.8m allocation for 2026-27 had been set, but said further work would now take place to assess whether funding for core services should increase in future.

She also acknowledged that a previous independent review suggested government should fund up to 50% of core staffing costs, compared to the current 37%.

Questions were also raised by Onchan MHK Rob Callister about the hospice’s request for £2.4m in funding, and concerns from the wider third sector about negotiations with Manx Care.

In response, the minister defended the existing uplift levels and said a wider review of commissioning arrangements is now under way, with the aim of establishing a more sustainable long-term funding model.

She told the court that work on this would be completed ahead of the 2027-28 budget process.

Meanwhile, members including Onchan MHK Julie Edge called for the publication of the independent ‘Mead report’ into hospice funding, which Ms Christian confirmed she has now requested, subject to any necessary redactions.

The Department of Health and Social Care and Manx Care are continuing discussions with the hospice, with full impact assessments expected in the coming weeks as part of plans to ensure any changes are ‘carefully planned, clinically safe and appropriately coordinated.’