Manx Care mandate: 'We need to make it clearer'

The Isle of Man's health department needs to use "clearer" language to avoid confusion over its mandate to Manx Care, the minister has said.

Claire Christian has responded to criticism of the document following a seven-hour debate in Tynwald this week, in which members highlighted "inconsistencies" between the Department of Health and Social Care's mandate and Manx Care's operating plan.

The discussion resulted in members agreeing to a full audit into the value for money of all Manx Care's functions.

Health Minister Claire Christian said: "Manx Care absolutely is fundamentally one of the most important areas right now where that review needs to be."

The mandate to Manx Care is an annual document published by the government which outlines its priorities for the health and care system.

Since the document was published in March, several concerns about the future of some services were voiced by members of the public.

In the Tynwald debate politicians raised several of these, describing an apparent contradiction between the mandate and Manx Care's operating plan.

Christian said the way certain points were written in the mandate had "caused some confusion, absolutely we acknowledge that".

She said: "We need to make sure that it's far clearer.

"There's definitely work to be done but I can start that now for the next year - we can definitely do better."

The debate also resulted in the agreement that third party organisation funding would be considered within an ongoing health and social care review.

Christian was originally due to bring a motion to Tynwald seeking to set up a committee to review the working arrangements between DHSC and Manx Care.

However after speaking to other members, she said "the feeling was that a select committee wasn't the right method".

"Going into the fifth year of Manx Care" meant now was the "right time" to look at how the healthcare body was working, she said, adding that the government would not "stand still" and would "keep reviewing and keep listening".

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