Hospital patients stay in A&E due to lack of space

As reported by the BBC, a lack of bed space at the Isle of Man’s main hospital meant some patients had to spend a night in A&E, Manx Care has said

Noble’s Hospital was running at full capacity on Tuesday, meaning some people waiting to be admitted were kept in rooms at the emergency department.

A Manx Care spokesperson said the situation had eased but admissions remained high. Efforts were underway to cut delays in discharging, she added.

Lack of bed space due to high rates of winter illness has continued to disrupt care at the island’s main hospital, as health services struggle to move patients out to other care facilities.

Manx Care said many of those arriving at A&E were frail, elderly patients who were ‘likely to have an extended length of stay in hospital’.

Pressures across the whole social care system meant home, residential and nursing care providers cannot care for patients as soon as they are ready to be discharged, the spokeswoman added.

System-wide ways to tackle the problem are being investigated, Manx Care said.