IOM DHSC & MANX CARE

[asitis]

21 hours ago, Ghost Ship said:

What body in the IoM decides what treatments are or are not funded to be available from Manx Care?

Professor Ashford? Apologies for levity.

[Ghost Ship]

22 hours ago, Jarndyce said:

DHSC, I assume - they control Manx Care’s budget and commission what they do with it.

eta: membership list looks out of date - but I guess it’s these guys…

https://www.gov.im/categories/health-and-wellbeing/pharmacy-services/integrated-medicines-optimisation-group-imog/

Thank you.

Yeah - they look like the appropriate gatekeeper for medicines.

But what about - for example - new surgical procedures, new forms of psychological therapies etc or questions about whether surgery - as opposed to doing nothing or using an alternative like physiotherapy - should be funded?

I suppose as you say it's DHSC as the commissioner of services.

I'm interested because in the NHS trust I used to work for we used to have epic discussions with commissioners about what was and was not NICE approved and what services the commissioners wanted to buy

[Boo Gay'n]

This is a strange article, with carefully chosen wording.

I assume that they are negotiating to have Noble's on the approved list for the insurers - i.e. people with private health insurance can have their treatment here instead of travelling across - but it isn't clear.  I also wonder why this half-cocked news is being released now.

[Roger Mexico]

57 minutes ago, Boo Gay'n said:

This is a strange article, with carefully chosen wording.

I assume that they are negotiating to have Noble's on the approved list for the insurers - i.e. people with private health insurance can have their treatment here instead of travelling across - but it isn't clear.  I also wonder why this half-cocked news is being released now.

It's probably because there's been a number Written Questions on the topic recently.  For example there's an as yet unanswered one from Moorhouse: What progress has been made in the last six months towards reopening the private patients unit at Noble's Hospital; what budget has been allocated to this; and when the facility will re-open.  And another from Watterson about private surgery,  But as with most things from Manx Care it seems a bit unorganised.

[WTF]

1 hour ago, Boo Gay'n said:

This is a strange article, with carefully chosen wording.

I assume that they are negotiating to have Noble's on the approved list for the insurers - i.e. people with private health insurance can have their treatment here instead of travelling across - but it isn't clear.  I also wonder why this half-cocked news is being released now.

on a list or not i'd try and go across

[Roger Mexico]

15 hours ago, Ghost Ship said:

 Yeah - they look like the appropriate gatekeeper for medicines.

[...] I suppose as you say it's DHSC as the commissioner of services.

I'm interested because in the NHS trust I used to work for we used to have epic discussions with commissioners about what was and was not NICE approved and what services the commissioners wanted to buy

I don't think it is the DHSC any longer - the news piece only mentions Manx Care and the linked policies have Manx Care headings (and have in some cases lapsed).  The membership is un-updated (Dr Daniel retired in 2022 for example and Dr O'Tuathail is no longer on the Island) so you wonder how often it actually meets or whether the Manx Care people just make the decisions of the top of their heads.

When Tynwald in its wisdom decided to go down the failing commissioner/provider route, it not only created a situation with only one provider, it also then gave it nearly all the commissioner powers as well.  So DHSC actually does very little except some inspections.  I suppose it gives them more time for their core activity of Pointless Bullying.

[Boo Gay'n]

On 8/26/2024 at 10:49 PM, Ghost Ship said:

What body in the IoM decides what treatments are or are not funded to be available from Manx Care?

In Manx law, the minister is the department, and so decisions like this are made ultimately by the incumbent minister of the day.  The advice provided to assist with the decision comes from this committee, methinks.

[joebean]

On 8/28/2024 at 5:05 PM, Boo Gay'n said:

In Manx law, the minister is the department, and so decisions like this are made ultimately by the incumbent minister of the day.  The advice provided to assist with the decision comes from this committee, methinks.

I think we will find, in due course, that it has nothing to do with Mr Hooper. When things look difficult, tricky or possibly even controversial, it never has anything to do with him. He is the Minister of Nothing in Particular. This gives him more time to devote to arrogant pontificating. 

[2112]

A piece on the local media this morning, involving an individual urging Manx Care to consider its travel vaccine policy and make vaccinations free of charge. As someone who has traveled, I got some vaccinations years ago, for which I paid for and didn’t object to paying for either. From my perspective if you can afford to either go travelling, working or residing in certain countries where there is a chance of contracting tropical or dangerous viruses, you can afford the cost of the vaccines and the cost of administering them at their local GP surgery. 

[Gladys]

1 hour ago, 2112 said:

A piece on the local media this morning, involving an individual urging Manx Care to consider its travel vaccine policy and make vaccinations free of charge. As someone who has traveled, I got some vaccinations years ago, for which I paid for and didn’t object to paying for either. From my perspective if you can afford to either go travelling, working or residing in certain countries where there is a chance of contracting tropical or dangerous viruses, you can afford the cost of the vaccines and the cost of administering them at their local GP surgery. 

Quite.  Typical entitled attitude which is often accompanied with a loud voice.  

[Roger Mexico]

3 hours ago, 2112 said:

A piece on the local media this morning, involving an individual urging Manx Care to consider its travel vaccine policy and make vaccinations free of charge. As someone who has traveled, I got some vaccinations years ago, for which I paid for and didn’t object to paying for either. From my perspective if you can afford to either go travelling, working or residing in certain countries where there is a chance of contracting tropical or dangerous viruses, you can afford the cost of the vaccines and the cost of administering them at their local GP surgery. 

I presume the point is that (some of) these vaccines are free in the UK:

Which travel vaccines are free?

The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:

• polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab)
• typhoid
• hepatitis A
• cholera

These vaccines are free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.

The danger is that someone who going somewhere where these vaccines are recommended, but not mandatory might not bother to get them if they have to pay, become infected, bring them back and then cause an expensive health crisis.  As the NHS site says:

You may be more at risk of some diseases, for example, if you're:

• travelling in rural areas
• backpacking
• staying in hostels or camping
• on a long trip rather than a package holiday

and of course people travelling that way are the ones most likely to be cash-sensitive and not likely to have to pay for things they don't have to.

That site also lists vaccinations you do have to pay for in the UK and those tend to be the ones you need to have to travel to a particular country, so they can't be skipped.

So it seems to be a sensible enough compromise from the point of view of public health.

[Gladys]

11 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I presume the point is that (some of) these vaccines are free in the UK:

Which travel vaccines are free?

The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:

• polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab)
• typhoid
• hepatitis A
• cholera

These vaccines are free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.

The danger is that someone who going somewhere where these vaccines are recommended, but not mandatory might not bother to get them if they have to pay, become infected, bring them back and then cause an expensive health crisis.  As the NHS site says:

You may be more at risk of some diseases, for example, if you're:

• travelling in rural areas
• backpacking
• staying in hostels or camping
• on a long trip rather than a package holiday

and of course people travelling that way are the ones most likely to be cash-sensitive and not likely to have to pay for things they don't have to.

That site also lists vaccinations you do have to pay for in the UK and those tend to be the ones you need to have to travel to a particular country, so they can't be skipped.

So it seems to be a sensible enough compromise from the point of view of public health.

TBH this cost should be factored in along with your travel insurance, which might require that you have all recommended vaccinations. 

[thommo2010]

4 hours ago, 2112 said:

A piece on the local media this morning, involving an individual urging Manx Care to consider its travel vaccine policy and make vaccinations free of charge. As someone who has traveled, I got some vaccinations years ago, for which I paid for and didn’t object to paying for either. From my perspective if you can afford to either go travelling, working or residing in certain countries where there is a chance of contracting tropical or dangerous viruses, you can afford the cost of the vaccines and the cost of administering them at their local GP surgery. 

What is the cost out of interest?

 

I had to get a prescription the other week got a load of medication to last a couple of months and when it came to paying I thought this is going to be a lot, it cost £3.85 so hardly a bank busting amount, I am assuming vaccines might be a bit more but not much 

[Jarndyce]

35 minutes ago, thommo2010 said:

I had to get a prescription the other week got a load of medication to last a couple of months and when it came to paying I thought this is going to be a lot, it cost £3.85 so hardly a bank busting amount, I am assuming vaccines might be a bit more but not much

Think you’ve missed the point - travel vaccines are not available on the NHS and need to be paid for privately, ie, the full retail price, not the cost of an NHS prescription.

[thommo2010]

3 minutes ago, Jarndyce said:

Think you’ve missed the point - travel vaccines are not available on the NHS and need to be paid for privately, ie, the full retail price, not the cost of an NHS prescription.

So what is the cost of those vaccines?