Safety check 'concerns' delay ward reopening

A hospital ward on the Isle of Man will remain closed following its refurbishment after environmental checks "raised concerns", Manx Care has said.

Martin Ward at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital had been due to reopen after a four-week for works to deal with a "pest control issue" in part of the building's roof, which was discovered in October.

However, the health care provider said tests had discovered "unexpected issues" with the hospital ward's air and environmental quality.

The area would remain closed for at least a further week while the environment was "cleaned and retested", it added.

The island's arms-length healthcare provider said as it could not "be fully confident in the recent results", it would be "inappropriate" to reopen the ward as some patients would be more vulnerable to environmental risks.

A Manx Care spokeswoman said: "The hospital team is ensuring all building systems are functioning correctly, and new checks will be carried out promptly and in line with the correct standards."

Patients who have clinical appointments scheduled at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital have been contacted directly due to the delayed reopening, she added.

The temporary delay follows the closure of the ward in October, where patients were moved to Ward 19 at Noble's Hospital in Braddan.

Scheduled works to deal with the infestation, along with other refurbishment works at the hospital, have seen services transferred to Noble's Hospital in Braddan and the temporary closure of minor injuries unit (MIU) in Ramsey.

A shuttle bus between the northern facility and the main hospital's emergency department has been put in place for patients who would normally attend the MIU.

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