Noble’s Hospital is on its highest alert level with an abnormally high number of admissions in the last few days.

Manx Care has confirmed the hospital continues to experience exceptionally high demand with adult elective surgery having been temporarily postponed.

In a Manx Care board meeting on Wednesday, it was reported that in the previous 72 hours there had been 48 admissions while the average is normally 20. At that stage a total of 16 people were in hospital beds waiting for social care support while more than 100 people attended the Emergency Department.

But Manx Care says all urgent and essential care continues to be delivered, including all cancer-related procedures and all surgery for children, which are going ahead as planned.

In a statement, Manx Care explained why is was on the highest alert level of OPEL 4.

It said: ‘This short-term measure [postponing elective surgery] allows clinical teams to prioritise patients who need the most urgent care and to maintain safe services across the hospital during a period of sustained pressure.

‘The Operational Pressures Escalation Level (OPEL) framework is a nationally recognised NHS tool used daily to describe the level of demand on hospitals and to support safe management of patient flow.

‘It consists of a number of escalation levels, with OPEL 4 indicating that pressure across the whole system is very high, requiring additional actions and coordination to maintain safe care.’

But Manx Care says being at OPEL does not mean care is being denied but certain treatments are being prioritised.

It said: ‘Importantly, being at OPEL 4 does not mean that care is not being delivered.

‘It means that services are under significant strain and that teams are working together across health and social care to prioritise patients, manage demand, and ensure those who need urgent and emergency treatment continue to receive it.

‘We understand that any change to planned treatment can be concerning. Affected patients are being contacted directly and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

‘Manx Care would like to thank the public for their continued patience and support while teams work to ensure safe, high-quality care for all patients.’

The latest issues come as Manx Care’s chief executive Teresa Cope has announced plans to step down from the role in the summer.

She has led the arms-length healthcare provider since it was formed five years ago.

Ms Cope joined the public service in December 2020 ahead of the formation of Manx Care in April 2021, leading the integrated health and care body from the outset.

She said: ‘After five years in post, I have been reflecting on what the next chapter looks like, and with the governance review underway, it feels like now is the right time to look to pass the baton on to someone else to continue the next stage of that journey.’

A governance review into Manx Care is currently underway and Health Minister Claire Christian said that once the review is complete focus will turn on finding Ms Cope’s replacement.