There have been NO cutbacks to the patient escort service offered by the DHSS, according to the department's director of strategy and performance.
There were concerns expressed in a recent Tynwald debate that the service, which allows for an escort to accompany a patient for off-Island medical treatment, was being curtailed after changes to criteria.
East Douglas MHK Brenda Cannell said a total of nine categories eligible for escort were being reduced to just four and the changes had been made by the Minister for Health.
However, Norman McGreggor-Edwards says the system has merely been simplified after consultation with clinicians (audio file attached):
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