"Hi, it's Siobhan Fletcher, one of the journalists up at Monks Radio here, and welcome to the latest edition of our newscast. This time we're looking at accessible changing places." A Douglas MHK, who says she's contacted weekly about accessible changing places, says she might as well go back to those inquiring and tell them that government feels the amenities are not worth investing in. Ceramalt B raised the issue in the House of Keys this week. It's not the first time. She's been asking questions about the possible facility in the sea terminal since 2022. Back then, she told Monks Radio government needs to lead the way on the issue, saying the installation of such a facility would be an obvious solution. In 2023, she said the lack of public changing place facilities on the island is letting people down. Since then, the Douglas self-representative has asked several further questions and has overseen the unveiling of a changing place's toilet in the New Tesco on Victoria Road in Douglas. This week, Mrs Mulp be asked Health Minister Laurie Hooper whether his department has conducted a feasibility study into providing a changing place facility at Nobles Hospital, and if so, what the findings and next steps are. "Thankscare have conducted a feasibility study into providing a changing place facility at Nobles Hospital. A location has been identified on the ground floor at Nobles Hospital in the east wing, and an initial specification has been formulated based on the requirements so that the facility can be classed as a registered changing place. A full, intrusive survey has not yet been undertaken, but it has estimated the works will cost approximately £45,000. In addition, there will be costs to relocate the janitorial room that will be lost in order to create the required space. The next step in the process is to source and secure funding for works to begin." She also asked Infrastructure Minister Tim Krakall whether his department has conducted a feasibility study into providing a changing place facility at the sea terminal building, and if so, what were the findings and next steps in that case? "Yes, we have carried out a review of the ground floor of the sea terminal, and it was identified there was currently no room large enough to accommodate a changing place with a ceiling hoist, which is what I think the other member is looking for. The proposal has been drawn up and costed on the most suitable location, but the proposal were located in the first aid room and the security team to create this facility would be in the region of somewhere I've told between £65,000 and £100,000, depending on which location and how it's done." "I'm contacted weekly about changing places on the Isle of Man, and I'd like to be to go back to those people who contact me and tell them that the government feels that they don't believe that a fully accessible facility, which gives them dignity and their carers, saves their carers of injury, is not considered value for money because that's what it feels like to me." "I didn't say it wasn't value for money, I just said we haven't got that money and we'd have to find it, but there's an awful lot of work involved here, and yes, those facilities should be available." Both ministers confirmed that appropriate areas have been identified, but that funding would need to be secured in order to move the projects forward. My colleague, one of Manx Radio's news editors, Tessa Hawley, spoke to Mrs Maltby after the sitting to find out what she made of the minister's answers. "Yeah, so this morning I asked two questions, one question to the Department of Health and Social Care Minister and one to the DOI Minister. The Department of Health and Social Care Minister actually gave me quite a positive answer. He said that the feasibility study for a changing place facility at Nobles Hospital has been considered, a space has been identified, but the funding is not available. Now he did mention that he was considering third-party involvement or private sector involvement to try and secure funding. There's lots of different ways you can go to treasury or find it within their own budget, but at the moment the funding is obviously the thing that's going to hold this back at Nobles Hospital. So of course it's encouraging that they've done the study and I'm pleased that that's happened. The biggest hurdle is obviously securing that funding. Now this is something that came up from the DOI Minister where an area has also been identified for a changing place facility down the sea terminal. It's going to mean moving around a couple of different units that are down there, and the feeling I had back from the DOI Minister was, but it's going to cost a lot of money. Now I accept that it's going to cost a lot of money to be able to re-jig the area and to install this changing place facility, but when we're talking about the dignity of people, I don't think that money should be used in the way that it was being used this morning. It felt like it was so we can't do it rather than let's try and find our way to do it, and because we really should be putting at the very front and centre the dignity of people who have to use a changing place facility. Their care is who have to, you know, manhandle the people to be able to change them. If that's not safe, that's not appropriate, that's not something that the government should be saying we're okay for that to happen, it certainly needs to be addressed and needs to be addressed with a higher level of priority, and not just say, sorry, cost too much, we're not going to do it, because that's certainly how it felt today. Because I think the figure that the DOI Minister gave you was between £65,000 and £100,000, and clearly that is a lot of money, but in the grand scheme of money that the government spends, it's probably a drop in the ocean, but is it important to remember here that this is a basic amenity that you're calling for? It's not a sort of grandiose scheme, it's not, you know, sort of gold-plated toilets, is it? It is a basic amenity, it is a toilet that can be accessed by people with disabilities. Absolutely, it's quite frustrating when you finally find out from an answer, yes, we found a space, yes, we can do it, but sorry, it's going to cost too much, that really felt like a bit of a kick in the teeth, because I really wouldn't have thought that although of casters, it has to be considered and every pound has to be spent very carefully and wisely, but when you're talking about value for the taxpayer's pound, I'm almost sure that most people would be fully in support in providing a changing place for people with very severe mobility needs that need require that facility who are currently unable to get around the aisle of mine because they have to plan their whole day around when they're going to need to be changed. Now that's not something that we all have to consider, that's something that some people have to consider, and actually it really does disable them, you know, they are not disabled, people necessarily, they're active, they want to be out in the community, they want to be contributing, they want to be doing the different day-to-day activities that we all get the benefit from, but they have to take into consideration this additional need that they require in order to be able to carry out the same functions that everybody else is doing, and I just don't believe that that's, it shouldn't come down to, that's how much it's going to cost so we can't do it. Now the DOI Minister spelt out in his answer, he broke down exactly what will be needed to fund the moving of the different facilities within the C terminal in order for this to happen, and I kind of felt like, great, thank you, you've identified, you've actually done a great job at identifying what needs to happen for this to now go on and happen, but it just then it felt like it just died off, it was kind of like that's the end of the conversation, come back to us again in a few months time, and they will let you know how, if we found the funding for that or not, and that kind of feels like what it's felt like from the very beginning, I kind of raised changing places from the very beginning as soon as I was elected, I was a carer for over 20 years for crossroads on and off a paid carer, and you know, I know exactly just how important a change of place facility is, and Tesco's picked up on my interview that I actually gave to Manx Radio, and they installed one in their Victoria Road Shop, and I felt, well if they can do it, a private company could do it, then government should also be doing it, so I put those questions down today, I was really pleased that they were able to say we've identified a place, we've identified what we can do, but really disappointed that they can't identify that funding just yet, and I really hope that that funding can be found, it shouldn't be a question in my mind, it should just be part and parcel of ensuring our government buildings are up to standard to be able to accept and help and support residents and visitors like. Because obviously it is residents that, you know, we sort of look at it in the main, but obviously if we're talking about a place like the sea terminal, that is, you know, a gateway to our island isn't it, so I mean what does it say about us as a sort of inclusive welcoming place for visitors, if, you know, the first place that you arrive, you can't actually maybe use the toilet properly. Well, exactly, so as part of my supplementary questions today, I actually raised the point that the Liverpool Alaman Ferry Terminal has a fantastic changing place which has been installed within it, our Manxman Ship has a changing place, not with the host, but it has a decent changing place for people to be to use, and then you get off the boat on the Isle of Man, and we don't have one there, we don't want to have, we don't have a changing place at the ferry terminal, you know, if I was a customer coming to the island, I would expect, be expecting to sort of see a pattern and what and sure knowing where I'd be able to go to when I get off the boat, or where I'd be able to go to visit during my stay on the island, now residents obviously know that they have their facilities at home, but we want to encourage residents to be able to go out across the Isle of Man and visit different places, and to do the things that, you know, they have absolutely every right to be able to do, I don't think people realize, until you've been in a situation where you may be caring for someone, just how vitally important it is, you have to plan your whole day around toileting, it's, this is not just a minor, we'll just nip to the loo, this is like a, it's a military operation, you need to know exactly where you're going, have you got all of your material items that you need to be able to change somebody, and then you need to then be able to plan out that day around to make sure that that person is not left in a situation where they're uncomfortable and have a, you know, an accident that's not, that's not acceptable, so I, you know, I'm really, really keen to ensure that the government really gets to understand that this isn't just a nice to have, this is an essential service that the government should be providing for its residents on the Isle of Man, and once it's in place, it's in place, the maintenance of these kind of facilities will obviously need to be factored in, but we're talking a very little amount of money and commitment to the maintenance of this, it's the biggest output is the capital scheme, and I recognize that it is a big amount of money for a capital scheme, however, when we're talking about the dignity of other human beings, I don't think it really should come into the question, and I was disappointed today that it really did heavily focus on how much this was going to cost, rather than we recognize the cost, but we're going to find a way to do it, and that's the bit that I felt was quite disappointing. Thank you for making it to the end of the Manx Radio Newscast, you are obviously someone with exquisite taste, may I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of Manx Radio podcasts at your favourite podcast provider, so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone. Thank you. [Music] [MUSIC]
