The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is awaiting an official response from Manx Care following recent talks regarding the ongoing pay dispute.

The outcome of these discussions will determine the union’s next steps, with industrial action still a possibility.

An RCN spokesperson said: ‘Once we have this, it will determine our next steps.’

The dispute stems from Manx Care’s latest pay offer, which was rejected by a significant majority of RCN members in an indicative ballot.

Seventy per cent of those who voted indicated they would consider taking strike action after dismissing a 4% pay increase for the 2024/25 period.

Manx Care’s offer, first proposed in November 2024, included a 4% uplift from 1 April 2024 for staff employed at the time an agreement is reached.

However, the RCN raised concerns that the proposal did not include back pay for those who had since left the organisation.

This latest rejection follows years of tensions over pay and staffing concerns.

In 2023, nurses held two days of strike action before an improved offer was made, providing a consolidated £1,500 increase for each pay point alongside a 6% pay rise.

However, the latest proposal has failed to satisfy union members, prompting the RCN to prepare for a statutory ballot, which could lead to lawful strike action.

The dispute comes amid wider concerns about staffing shortages and financial pressures within Manx Care.

The government’s recently published mandate for 2025/26 outlines significant cost-saving measures, including fewer hospital beds, longer waits for non-urgent care, and increased charges for dental services and prescriptions.

Manx Care was established on April 1, 2021 as an arm’s-length body responsible for delivering the island’s health and social care services.

A spokesperson for Manx Care said: ‘Manx Care is continuing to work with the RCN while they are conducting further consultations.

‘We understand that this process will help them to fully understand their members’ position.

‘We are keen to hear what the RCN believes an acceptable resolution would be, and they have agreed to reach out to us as soon as they have firm parameters.

‘We have always been clear that any offer above the 4% offered would require a separate business case and discussion with IOM Treasury. ‘