Chief Minister Alfred Cannan says Manx Care’s culture of ‘spend, spend, spend’ has to stop.

And he described Lawrie Hooper’s decision to publish an embargoed press statement about planned cuts online as ‘frankly irresponsible’.

Former health minster Lawrie Hooper posted on Facebook a copy of an embargoed press release that had been withdrawn by Manx Care in mid-January.

The release outlined a series of planned cost-saving measures, including a number which ultimately are not being implemented.

‘His actions in releasing a press release that had effectively been pulled as the Minister wanted to try to resolve some of the issues is frankly irresponsible.’

Health Minister Claire Christian had been due to answer an urgent House of Keys question on health cuts but in the event was not absent from the sitting due to illness.

Mr Cannan insisted: ‘The Minster clearly wasn’t well - she fell ill literally minutes before the Keys commenced.’

He said the questioner, Jodie Faragher, had been offered to a written response but had insisted she had wanted an oral reply.

Mr Cannan said the Minister had not misled Tynwald when she said that no services were under threat.

He said the question put to her was whether there would be any cuts as a result of the doctors’ pay settlement and it was correct to say there was no direct connection - as the extra money for the settlement would be paid by DHSC not Manx Care.

‘I’m satisfied that the Minister had been making a clear statement of fact,’ the Chief Minister said.

In relation to the healthcare funding crisis, Mr Cannan said Manx Care had to accept responsibility.

‘There has clearly been a complete failure to bring about effective oversight of their finances,’ he said.

He said there was a culture of ‘spend, spend, spend, within health services both here and across.

Mr Cannan said: ‘This culture of overspending has got to stop. It can’t continue.’

‘If Manx Care continues to overspend in the way it has, there will be significant consequences for the public finances.

‘If we continue to spend money on health at this rate, we will end up using all our available reserves.

‘We will effectively run out.’

He said that not only had Manx Care received an extra £43m in its budget this year, it was also forecasting a £15m overspend.

‘That’s £58m more than they had the previous year,’ Mr Cannan pointed out.

He said a report produced in April showed that Manx Care’s finances were not being governed effectively and efficiently.

‘We have to be honest with people. Manx Care needs to deliver services in line with its budget. That does lead to questions about the expectations being put on Manx Care,’ he said.