The number of managers in the Department of Health and Social Care is set to be cut.

Health Minister David Ashford has pledged to address concerns over the quality of governance at the department.

He admitted his concern at comments in recent reports, on how the department is run and how its services work with each other.

The West Midlands Quality Review Service warned: ’The very traditional management structure of the department appeared to be promoting the divisions between these services and acting as a barrier to integrated working.’

The minister said tackling that was a priority.

He added: ’The management structure of the department is being reviewed and updated and the number of posts in it is being reduced.

’Similarly, the number of operational divisions in the department has been reduced, with adult social care, community health and mental health now working as one team, to be known as Community Care.

’This process is partly about cost improvement, partly to improve integration and, to an extent, to improve governance.’

The quality of governance in the Department of Health and Social Care came under scrutiny during a series of inquiries by the West Midlands Quality Review Service.

Mr Ashford’s predecessor Kate Beecroft (LibVannin, Douglas South), who was ousted by Chief Minister Howard Quayle at the turn of the year, has campaigned for governance to be addressed as a ’matter of urgency’.

A governance board was created in 2014 and disbanded in 2016 - when Mr Quayle was still the health minister.

Mrs Beecroft raised the issue in Tynwald last week and welcomed the news that a new ’governance document’ would be produced as part of the overall review of structures by the department.

’I am delighted to hear the news that this is all going on and that there will be a new governance document, but the only things that the minister has referred to have been internal directors and divisions et cetera,’ she said.

Mrs Beecroft asked him if there were any plans for ’external governance’.

Mr Ashford said external governance was just as important as internal governance.

’The way I see it is a review of governance includes both,’ he added.

’So, when I am referring to us reviewing the governance arrangements I am talking not just about internal governance arrangements, but also external. As far as I am concerned both are in the mix.’