An Onchan MHK believes structural changes are needed at Manx Care to secure the future of the Island's health service.
Julie Edge says reforming healthcare should be a priority for Alfred Cannan adding we need action now.
Manx Newscast
MHK calls for 'structural changes' at Manx Care
Hi, I'm Sean, one of the news editors at Manks Radio. Now, over the last couple of weeks, we've heard a lot about the health service and its future going forward. But one MhK is now calling for the Chief Minister to take immediate action to secure the future of the island's health service. On can MhK Julie Edge says there needs to be reform for health care and that it should be a priority for Alfred Cannon. She joined myself and Ben on Manks Radio Breakfast this morning. I actually think it's been time for a little while and it's a shame that action hasn't been taken before now, to be perfectly honest Sean. However, it's clear from some of the statements that have been made by the previous Health Minister and obviously the Chief Minister has said at the conference that was back in September. Here we are in, you know, October's nearly over and we were going to get immediate action then. We do need immediate action. We need simple solutions at the minute that are Manks solutions for our people so that they know the direction that we're going in. But more importantly, they can get a doctor's appointment, they can get a dentist appointment. And all I've actually heard majority of people talk about is the hospital services. Yes, the structure starts and actually is sitting in Nobles Hospital, but we need to be talking about our community services. We've seen the numbers of GPs, etc. And unless you get that primary service model correct, we're not going to move forward with changes at Nobles. Now some of the areas you've been highlighting the primary service model, the digital transformation, we know these are areas that Manks care have said they want to make changes but need that financial backing. Where do you see the funds coming from for this transformation? So it always seems to be the answer that comes out of Manks care is we need more money. We have doctors working in all of our services. We have qualified professionals working in our services. I speak to a lot of these. They say we need structural change. They know there's ways of improvement. They've tried to make improvements. I spoke to a nurse actually in the hospital in the last few months. They put a suggestion forward about the bank working, etc. And how it could be more effective. I don't know if that got anywhere, but there's lots of suggestions and good ideas from on the ground and I think we need to listen to them. What most importantly for me is making sure that structural change happens. The chief minister is in his gift now to make sure that happens and we need the right people sitting at the top of our health service, delivering services to our people. Now there was quite a long debate on Manks care and it's its future in Timwald last week. Were these ideas something you could have potentially put forward as an amendment during that motion? Well there was an amendment. Wasn't there a review? I'd be perfectly honest. I was going to, I did put on amendment forward to make sure that we've seen this review earlier. Did I fully support the amendment? The proposal no because we need action now. That's going to be bringing something back. I think it's in May now. However, since the resignation, the chief minister does appear to have taken some action. Is it enough? Obviously it's appointed two of his ex-ministerial colleagues, Mr Thomas and Mr Ashford. I have spoken to the chief minister and I'm very concerned about some of the things that have happened, but it does need to speak to all backbenchers and he needs some experience with him that's going to support him through this. We need to make sure we've got doctors and medical people on the board of Mankscare that work in the Isle of Man, not in a UK NHS trust system. You said at the start of this interview, just a few moments ago, that change has been needed, transformation for a little while. You were part of the Council of Ministers for around two and a half years up until earlier this year, so while you were sat at the table yourself, could you not have done more then to get things moving sooner? Certainly, and obviously it's quite clear we can't be vocal about collective responsibility, but when I was in there I was very vocal. Obviously my departure was around whistle-blowing and it certainly was not accepted some of the things that I was challenging within the Council of Ministers. Do you feel you weren't being listened to by the Council of Ministers when you were there, with your ideas from Mankscare and health reform on the island? Were they not listening to you? I would say that in a lot of cases, yes, but all you can do is record your concerns, put your points of view forward, and sadly an awful lot of things that were stated by various members are now coming to fruition, and certainly I think the most important priority here is let's get the structure right. I think the Chief Minister has had a tough job, he's got very few experienced people alongside him, he's got a few that were in the last administration, but not all, and in the last administration actually, I do want to say this because I did comments in my post that is it the Council of Ministers system, you know, the act that's wrong here, but previously in the last administration most people that ended up being ministers had had previous experience on a statutory board, they've been responsible and accountable for something, so they knew the ropes and rules of governments, sadly I think that's been lacking for this Council of Ministers, and certainly there's been lots of issues hasn't there, but I want to see action, I want to see a good structure, particularly at the core of our health services, and our primary care, you know, I looked at the mandate and emergency doctors services, which was working well, meds out of ours, doctors service 24/7, we need that for our elderly people in our community on nursing homes, and for anybody that seals suddenly, we've been closing that, and then they say there's an increase in numbers at A&E, well why, because they can't get a primary care doctor out of ours, and all that it said in the mandate was that it's been established. Well clearly you clearly have concerns, Miss Edge, about the whole thing, and you've mentioned a number of times over the last few minutes about the structure of Manc's care, you know, if we're going to see any changes, because it's not in a good way, is it, with the overspend services being cut, so if there is going to be steps forward and things changing, do we need to see change at the top of Manc's care itself? I think one of the areas that really does concern me, a number of board members do not live on the island, and obviously we had that situation during the tribunal where there was employees that were not on island anymore, I don't want to see the Isle of Man getting itself into a situation that we cannot be holding boards or anybody on our structures to accounts on the Isle of Man, and I think that's something that could be fixed quite quickly, and I think that's in the Chief Minister's gift to make sure that the people that are representing us are well qualified, but our resident on our island would be a first, and that they understand the culture of an island health care service. We've got doctors, nurses, every angle of the employment portal that was speaking to me, that want to help, we all want this to be right, so start listening to the people that are on the ground. There's a lot of people qualified as nurses, et cetera, in these management teams, we need them on the ground working. Well, you clearly have lots of ideas about ways to improve and reform the health service, we know that Mr. Cannon needs a new health minister at the moment, is it a job you would consider yourself? Well, I haven't had any conversations with regards to that, you know, I would certainly, I would do anything to help that moves the Isle of Man forward, I haven't had a conversation with regards to that, and certainly, you know, I have, I worked in Nobles Hospital when we had excellent health services, but it wasn't run by politicians, it wasn't run by a huge board that was not on the Isle of Man, it was run by people on the Isle of Man who are directly responsible to our people, and that's what we need again. And you talked a few moments ago about speaking with the chief minister saying you have had concerns, there needs to be more conversation with the backbenchers, we have heard in the last 24 hours, there will be this vote of no confidence next week, what are your thoughts on that? Well, to be honest, I didn't hear about it till late Sunday night, really, I've had a couple of conversations with regards to it, I don't think that's going to fix the situation in our health services, which to me would be our priority, I do think the chief ministers have very little opportunity to get into to Manx care, but I don't think it's the first time that we've heard that there could be a vote of no confidence in this administration, what would the situation be if that came to it for the Isle of Man, I think, you know, these are serious issues that need to be really well thought through, my understanding is that the vote of no confidence is purely in the chief minister, all that doesn't really happen in our act because it's the whole of the council of ministers that you're voting against really, what would I like to see and I have, you know, I've had conversations with the chief minister, I think to get the confidence, the trust back into the people of the Isle of Man, if we've got the right chief minister at the minister at the minute, I personally think the strong thing to do would be to step down and re-stand and be elected by your colleagues, that's what I would be saying, and obviously then that would bring trust back into the whole of the system and give the chief minister direction at the minute, it looks like we're going to be clambering for people to be working in various places, we cannot be in that position, we need strong leadership, we need the Isle of Man to be safe for all of our people, particularly in our house services, but in all the big challenges that we're facing and that needs strong leadership. So does that mean at the moment you are considering voting in support of Mr Glover's motion? I don't think it's the right motion I'll be perfectly honest and certainly we'll see what happens between now and that debate, whether there's anything else that changes before next Tuesday, but certainly at the minute I think the strongest position, we do need a very experienced politician in there, I do think the chief minister is very clear on his direction, we've got other members that have been in there a long time, like Mr Thomas, we've got the speaker of the house of keys that have been in a lot longer, probably a lot more experience or similar experience to the chief minister, but you know without it being the right vote of no confidence, without aspect benches or snowing what the next direction would be, I've got concerns because there's certainly people that I would not be voting for as our chief minister. 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