The Isle of Man's health service must balance changing standards and options with clearer communication and stronger public trust, according to Manx Care's interim chief executive, as the organisation continues to navigate financial pressures, waiting lists and service changes.

Chris Stockport has held the interim chief executive role for two months, having taken over after the previous chief executive stood down. His comments come ahead of the island's election on 24 September, with healthcare and financial efficiency emerging as key priorities for many candidates.

Looking ahead, Stockport said the organisation's focus would centre on reducing waiting lists, improving the flow of patients through hospitals, and addressing how long people remain in hospital when they may no longer need to be there.

Manx Care was established in 2021 as an arms length body to the Department of Health and Social Care, following an independent review into health services on the island. Since its creation, the organisation has faced significant challenges meeting its budget targets, posting a deficit in every year of its operation.

The island's health service is delivered through two hospitals, Noble's Hospital and Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, the latter considerably smaller than the former. At the end of 2025, several services at the Ramsey site, including its minor injuries unit and dialysis services, were suspended due to a pest control issue that exposed the need for urgent building repairs. These services have since returned, with full restoration expected within the next two months. In the meantime, the disruption placed additional pressure on Noble's Hospital, which houses the island's only accident and emergency department.

Earlier this year, in May, Manx Care cancelled 19 operations and declared its highest level of alert in response to high demand for services and limited bed availability. This came during a period of leadership change at the organisation, with both the previous chief executive and the chair of Manx Care stepping down in succession. Stockport said the organisation was now moving forward at a greater pace following this transition.

On the question of waiting lists and hospital flow, Stockport said there was clearly scope for improvement, noting that managing how long patients remain in hospital, particularly when ongoing care is not strictly necessary, is a challenge shared by healthcare systems more broadly.

Turning to finances, Stockport acknowledged Manx Care's history of overspending, but said the current focus was on identifying additional efficiencies rather than simply cutting costs. He said he would not want the organisation to underspend, since this would suggest it had not delivered everything it was capable of delivering, adding that even small efficiency improvements could help speed up the services Manx Care is able to provide.

Stockport declined to be drawn into what he described as a hot political debate over whether Manx Care is overspending or underfunded, saying this was not a discussion he intended to enter during the pre-election period. He did, however, stress the importance of living within the organisation's means and prioritising those with the greatest need.

He pointed to progress made in shifting care into the community through the island's four wellbeing hubs, describing how Manx Care was now delivering services in patients' homes that had previously required a hospital visit.

Addressing past criticism regarding the organisation's reliance on temporary or locum staff, which had been linked to rising costs, Stockport said this dependence was reducing as more substantive staff members joined the organisation, describing the shift as a positive development.

He also acknowledged the reputational challenges facing Manx Care, saying the organisation needed to do more to highlight positive patient experiences. He noted that he is responsible for more than 3,000 staff members who, in his view, are doing excellent work, and said the organisation needed to share more of these stories more widely.

Looking to the future, Stockport identified managing public expectations amid a period of rapid change as the biggest challenge facing Manx Care. He said conversations with the public needed to be conducted openly and without hostility or suspicion, in order to establish what he described as proper, trusted dialogue between the organisation and the community it serves.

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