Onchan MHK Julie Edge has branded Manx Care’s latest annual report a ‘catalogue of failure’, calling for its board to resign and declaring that ‘the people of the Isle of Man deserve better.’

Her comments come after the health body confirmed it overspent its 2024-25 budget by £15.6 million.

While Manx Care’s chair, Wendy Reid, described the figure as ‘disappointing but a significant improvement on previous years’, Ms Edge said the report underlined ongoing problems across the island’s health services, ranging from waiting lists to staff morale.

The overspend, representing 4.5% of Manx Care’s operational budget, came despite the organisation receiving an additional £43.8m in last year’s Budget, funded partly by a 2p rise in the higher rate of income tax.

According to the report, the deficit was driven by pay inflation, rising drug costs and greater demand for off-island care.

Manx Care achieved £11.7m in cost improvements during the year but conceded that a further £7m in potential savings would have been ‘unachievable’ without unacceptable risks to patient services.

Since its creation in 2021, Manx Care has overspent in every financial year. The deficit was £9.9m in its first year, £8.8m in the second, before ballooning to £30.4m in 2023-24.

Among the pressures highlighted in the latest report were a 4% increase in drug expenditure, with significant rises in cancer, rheumatology, renal and cystic fibrosis treatments; £3.8m of unavoidable costs; and £8.8m in additional funding claims for areas including compensation payments and CAMHS initiatives.

Performance targets were also missed in key areas.

Just 67% of patients were seen within four hours at the emergency department, compared to the 76% target.

In diagnostics, 58% of patients waited more than six weeks for a test, against a target of only 1%.

For cancer pathways, only 63% of patients were diagnosed within 28 days of referral, falling short of the 75% benchmark.

Waiting lists have also grown.

The number of patients awaiting a first consultant outpatient appointment rose nearly 7% to 17,829.

Day case waiting lists increased 23% to 2,258, while the inpatient list edged up to 482.

The number waiting more than a year for an inpatient procedure, however, fell significantly by 59%.

Access to NHS dentistry remains a concern, with the waiting list up 20% to 6,254. Ambulance response times averaged nine minutes, two minutes slower than the target.

Staff wellbeing also emerged as a challenge.

A survey found more than half of colleagues reporting exhaustion or burnout, with sickness absence running at 7% and vacancy rates exceeding 18%.

Six per cent of new starters left within their first year. Complaints rose by 38% to 443.

In response, Ms Edge said the report was evidence of systemic failure. She argued: ‘Behind the numbers are real people - patients waiting in pain and staff being pushed beyond breaking point. Finances are spiralling out of control. Enough is enough.’

She added: ‘If this were the UK, we would be talking about special measures. The Manx Care board should resign and make way for leadership that can deliver a safe, timely and sustainable service fit for our island.’