Patients waiting 56 weeks for appointments as Manx Care records £14.9m deficit

Manx Care ended the 2025/26 financial year with an operational deficit of £14.9m, while patients faced worsening delays in the Emergency Department and lengthy waits for hospital appointments and diagnostic tests.

The figures are contained in the organisation’s newly published annual report, covering the 12 months from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

It provides an overview of the island’s health and social care services during the year, highlighting financial pressures, difficulties meeting performance targets and progress in some areas of care.

Manx Care spent £376.7m during the year, against an operational budget of £361.8m.

The report records an operational deficit of £14.9m, with additional funding claims totalling £23.7m agreed with the Department of Health and Social Care and Treasury to maintain clinical services.

Tynwald voted in June to approve a supplementary vote of £19m for the Department of Health and Social Care which covered Manx Care’s budget overspend of £14.9m.

Staffing costs were among the main pressures, with hospital employee spending £4.1m above budget. The report also identifies £860,000 in costs from writing off expired legacy Covid-19 personal protective equipment.

Off-island specialist treatment costs also rose by £4.6m more than planned, reaching £25.8m.

Manx Care did, however, report £9.9m in efficiency savings, exceeding its mandated £7m target. These were achieved through measures including vacancy management, procurement and service redesign.

The report highlights continuing pressure in Noble’s Hospital Emergency Department (A&E), where the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours increased by 18% compared with the previous year.

That represents 355 additional patients experiencing waits of more than half a day. The number waiting more than 12 hours specifically for an inpatient bed also increased by 283.

Just 63.6% of Emergency Department patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, below the 78% target.

The department was built in 2003 to handle about 20,000 attendances a year, but now sees more than 37,600.

Patients needing planned treatment and diagnostic tests also faced lengthy waits.

The average wait for a first consultant outpatient appointment rose to 56 weeks, with 6,617 people waiting more than a year.

The report also records that an average of 68% of radiology patients waited six weeks or longer for tests.

There were positives, including a fall in sickness absence from 6.3% to 5.7% and a reduction in the overall vacancy rate from 18.1% to 14.5%.

Manx Care also reported that 92.4% of respondents to its Friends and Family Survey rated their care as good or very good.

Its Intermediate Care service accepted 1,212 referrals, a 60% increase on the previous year, while GP practices delivered 406,327 appointments across the island.

Interim Chief Executive Dr Chris Stockport said: ‘Our colleagues continue to work hard to provide safe, compassionate care in a demanding environment.

‘We recognise the significant challenges we face, including long waiting times and financial pressures, and are committed to being open about these pressures, making the best use of our resources and delivering lasting improvements for patients and service users.’

Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian added: ‘We monitor Manx Care’s performance throughout the year and this assessment provides a formal opportunity to take stock.

‘There has been meaningful progress, and I thank staff for their continued commitment, but significant challenges remain, particularly around waiting times and financial sustainability.

‘Our focus continues to be on ensuring that plans translate into measurable improvements that patients and service users can see and feel.’

The report has been submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care for assessment of Manx Care’s performance during the financial year.

The annual report and the department’s assessment letter will both be laid before Tynwald at its December sitting.

The full Manx Care Annual Report 2025/26 can be read HERE.