There are currently 710 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) posts showing as vacant across all areas of Manx Care.
That is according to Health and Social Care Minister, Lawrie Hooper, who disclosed the information in a written response, after being asked on the matter by Douglas North MHK David Ashford.
Mr Hooper said: ‘This is a ‘snapshot position’ and a number of these vacancies are in the recruitment process (either currently advertised or recently appointed to and being on-boarded.
If the additional 710 WTE posts were filled, it would cost manx Care an additional £29,167,029, with the total salary budget for Manx Care if all posts were filled being £197,939,335.
Mr Hooper said; ‘Manx Care is working across all service areas to recruit to these vacancies, in particular front line areas across health and social care and is making progress particularly in traditionally hard to recruit areas such as consultant and middle grade staff, midwives and social workers.
‘As a result, there has been a month on month reduction in the number of listed vacancies.
‘Restrictions on recruiting to non-clinical roles, in order to improve financial stability, is in place for the remainder of the financial year.’
He said that a monthly validation exercise of vacancies listed on PIP is undertaken by service areas to ensure that vacancies listed on the system are correct.
In a report published earlier this month, Manx Care projected an overspend of £27.2 million.
The agenda for its september meeting citing pay awards and ncreasing costs amond the causes.
In a separate written response, Mr Hooper was asked about plans to introduce bursaries for students of health and social studies courses.
In the response he said: ‘Manx Care’s Keyll Darree Education and Training Team currently delivers a pre-registration nursing programme in partnership with the University of Chester.
‘The programme offers a bursary for applicants who successfully apply to enrol on the undergraduate programme for adult nursing and mental health nursing.
‘Combined with support for tuition fees, this is now the most competitive package for nursing trainees anywhere in the UK and we hope this might help attract people to want to study as a trainee on Island going forward.’
He added: ‘In regards to providing bursaries for students embarking on broader health and social care courses, the department awaits the outcome of Manx Care’s Workforce Education Summit, planned to take place before the end of the calendar year.
‘The intention of this summit is to understand where current skills gaps exist and how we can plan to address these gaps through recruitment and bursary incentives, with the aim of being able to increase the domestic production of health and care practitioners and where this is not possible, looking to establish placement opportunities for trainees from UK universities being able to send students to undertake a block of study on the island’