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BBC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT: Extra staffing to support hospitals
Additional staffing has been drafted in to support hospitals during this year's Isle of Man TT races amid a predicted rise in demand for health care services. The annual two-week event, which started on Monday but was disrupted by rain, attracted more that 45,000 visitors last year. Manx Care, said additional cover would support the emergency department and orthopaedics team at Noble's Hospital, as well as the island's ambulance support at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital has also been secured to cope with the predicted rise in demand. Executive director of health care services Oliver Radford said the organisation aimed to provide "the highest quality care" during the period, while trying to maintain "business as usual".Additional blood products had been ordered to allow for any emergency blood transfusions required during the fortnight, he said. Minor injuries The ambulance service would also have access to additional emergency response vehicles, such as critical care cars, rapid response cars and the A99 helicopter, which the body said would allow them to reach non-racing incidents in "hard-to-reach locations".The health body has urged those with a minor injury or illness to use the Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Ramsey Cottage Hospital to reduce pressure at the Emergency Department at the island's main health care provider said where possible services were being maintained across Noble's Hospital, but orthopaedics would be "significantly affected" as a result of the who are attending scheduled hospital appointments have been advised to "leave plenty of time for your journey". Manx Care said the Ramsey MIU would be fully staffed across the fortnight, with X-ray provision from 09:00 to 17:00 BST on week days, as well as from 10:00 to 16:00 at to the island have been reminded to make sure they have adequate health insurance in place to cover the duration of their trip and to bring prescription medications and any other medical items they may use daily with them to the Isle of Man TT race are set to run until 7 June. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Isle of Man TT visitors urged to have travel insurance in place
Travelling to the Isle of Man for the 2025 TT races without appropriate travel insurance could be "very costly", Manx Care has island's healthcare provider said while most treatment for UK residents was covered under a reciprocal arrangement, all eventualities were said urgent care would always be provided but those from outside of the UK would only be entitled to emergency care for free, with ongoing treatment including repatriation to be paid for the 2025 event begins on Monday, with the races set to conclude with the Senior TT on 7 June. Thousands of people flock to the island for the annual two-week motorcycle event held on the 37.73-mile (60km) Mountain Course, which sees the closure of public roads for racing. Manx Care has urged all visitors to ensure the cover they have includes the cost of repatriation, including to the UK, which is not covered by the reciprocal director of health services Oliver Radford said the UK agreement did not "cover all eventualities".He said that could make it "very costly if you become ill and require healthcare support, and even more costly if you have no insurance in place at all".However, he said treatment for those needing urgent care, including for those involved in road accidents or who become ill, would always be queries would "never delay or prevent immediately necessary or urgent treatment being given", he to the island from countries outside the UK will be expected to provide insurance information or pay bills for treatment not classed as includes any stay in hospital after emergency care, diagnostic tests and health care provider has also reminded people to pack enough prescription medication, or any other medications, for their entire trip."We want all visitors to enjoy TT safely, and worry-free," Mr Radford residents are able to temporarily register with an island-based GP if their stay is longer than 24 hours but less than three months. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Emergency department space 'not fit for purpose'
The emergency department building at the island's main hospital is no longer "fit for purpose" and does not have enough space to meet increasing demand, health chiefs have Care chief executive Teresa Cope said the wing at Noble's Hospital has been "right and appropriate" when constructed 22 years ago but its footprint was now "too small overall".She said the creation of a new emergency department had therefore "really increased up the priority list" for future capital the health care body's annual public meeting it was confirmed its overspend for the 2024-25 year was £15.61m more than it's £347m budget. In January it was revealed that the number of people attending the emergency department at the Isle of Man's main hospital had increased by almost 35% over the last the yearly presentation, Ms Cope said the space did not meet "current standards" or "offer the right environment for children, anybody with a learning disability or for anybody with a mental health crisis".She also said despite it being a "relatively small emergency department" it had to function as a major trauma centre because of the "uniqueness" of the island and "the types of of injuries we see here that mean we're not always able to fly an emergency patient straight off the island". 'Out of date' Executive director of health services Oliver Radford said the area was "about 35% of the size" required compared to the number of people who also said there were "multiple areas of risk" surrounding the replacement of equipment for "both hospital and out of hospital services".He told the meeting some pieces of equipment had been brand new when the facility opened in 2003, so it was now "going out of date at around the same time" as the the coming year, Manx Care would concentrate on developing a "comprehensive capital asset programme" with Treasury and the Department of Health and Social Care, he was because the "last thing that we want is for patient waiting times to be extended" due to equipment going out of service, he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
