The number of people who waited more than 12 hours to be seen at Accident and Emergency (A&E) services at Nobles Hospital has increased by more than ten times from 2017 to 2021, rising from just 51 people waiting 12+ hours in 2017, to 595 people waiting 12+ hours in 2021. The figures were released by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) in Tynwald, in response to a written question by John Wannenburgh, a Member of the House of Keys for Douglas North.
The figures released by the DHSC reveal that the number of people seeking treatment at A&E increased from 28,451 people in 2017, to 32,891 in 2019, before falling during the two pandemic and lockdown-affected years of 2020 and 2021.
During the 2017-2021 time period, the percentage of people being seen at A&E within 4 hours fell from three-quarters in 2017, to only two-thirds in 2022.
These waiting times includes triage, waiting time, assessment and treatment in Nobles Emergency Department, and does not include the Minor Injuries Unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital.
Isle of Man radio station Three FM also reported on this issue.