Manx Care overspend forecast more than doubles

Manx Care now expects to end the financial year £19.2m over budget, more than double the overspend it forecast in May.

The health and care provider had predicted it would go £8.1m over its £404.2m budget for 2026-27.

Board papers point to emergency care, temporary staff and higher than expected pay rises as the main reasons.

Interim chief executive Dr Chris Stockport said the forecast was "not where we want or expect to finish the year".

Unscheduled care, which includes emergency treatment, is on course to finish £8.2m over budget, the biggest overspend of any part of the organisation.

The papers point to pressure on emergency care and the cost of medical staffing.

Between April and September, Manx Care spent £11m on temporary staff, including its own staff working extra shifts and workers from outside agencies.

Pay rises above the 2.9% it had budgeted for are expected to add a further £6.5m to its costs this year.

Manx Care, which overspent by £14.9m last financial year, had planned to cut £9.7m of costs this year, but now expects that figure to fall to £7.1m.

More than half of the £1.6m saved so far has come from cheaper working contracts and medicines, while plans to cut extra shifts and overtime have yet to save anything.

Manx Care said the £19.2m forecast did not include a £10m emergency fund it had not yet used.

Dr Stockport said: "We expect the measures already introduced to reduce the forecast deficit over the remainder of the year.

"There is still a significant financial challenge and we cannot take our foot off the pedal."

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