Patients 'in limbo' over health cuts, MHK says
BBCPatients who have had non-urgent procedures cancelled as part of cost saving measures by Manx Care have been "left in a limbo situation", an MHK has said.
On Thursday, reductions to some on-island elective surgeries and the cancellation of all non-urgent procedures in Liverpool and Manchester until 31 March were confirmed.
Joney Faragher MHK said some constituents had been left "extremely worried" about their health issues and when they might be treated.
Health Minister Claire Christian apologised for delay in making the details public, but said her department had been working to secure funding to reduce the cuts.
The island's health care provider has been tasked with making efficiencies in a bid to keep its budget deficit to no more than £15m this financial year.
Christian said her department called for a planned release of a list of cuts to be postponed in mid-January while further conversations about the impact of plans, including cancelling all elective surgery on the island, could be understood.
Those original proposals were released by former health minister Lawrie Hooper MHK, who said he believed it was "in the public interest".
But Christian said that move had "caused unnecessary alarm" as an extra £800,000 was subsequently made available to Manx Care by the Treasury to reduce some of the previously planned reductions in on-island procedures.
Faragher said constituents had approached her about cancellations before the plans were unveiled and that had "left people in a limbo situation" creating an "information vacuum" that was "unforgivable".
"It was so irresponsible not to explain to MHKs and the general public that this was going to take place... and the truth of the matter was that cuts were being proposed and the minister was trying to mitigate," she said.
The plans were an "incredibly irresponsible and short-sighted way to deal with the budget restraints" and "someone will have to pick up that tab in future", she added.
Manx Care has been contacted by the BBC for a comment.
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