The Chief Minister says plans to abolish NHS England should have no immediate impact on services in the UK provided to island residents.

At Tuesday’s House of Keys sitting, Onchan MHK Julie Edge aske Chief Minister Alf Cannan, in the absence of the Health Minister Claire Christian, what impact the abolition of NHS England will have among people and the contracts for services, and if he will make a statement.

But Mr Cannan says it is too early to assess any impact and told the House nothing will change in the short term.

He said: ‘I am aware the UK Prime Minister announced the abolition of NHS England on March 13, 2025.

‘These changes will take some time to implement and, most likely, will require changes to the legislation that underpinned the creation of NHS England as a non-departmental. public arms-length body of the Department of Health and Social Care in England.

‘Given these changes are aimed at national and regional management structures we do not expect, at this stage, to see any fundamental changes to our relationships or contracts with the NHS trusts that assist in serving the people of the Isle of Man.

In a follow-up question Ms Edge asked the Chief Minister that, given Manx Care has been utilising NHS England framework agreements, what could be the impact?

But Mr Cannan reiterated once more that nothing should change at this moment in time.

He said: ‘There is a huge amount of detail still to be delivered by the Health Minister in the UK, until you see that detail, we are unable to comment as to whether there will be any impact on the Isle of Man.

‘But I must reassure everybody, we do not foresee any fundamental changes to the relationships that we have with the multiple NHS trusts in the UK.’