Flubbergump

See Derek Flints comments above. We do have areas where we have both the staff and the facilities to treat certain patients but we are still a small cold Island in the Irish Sea and we need to pay above market rate for skilled individuals in every field

Enjoying how many people who didn't know who he was are suddenly becoming Buzzcocks fans* on social media. *pretending they knew anything about him to seem relevant/in the know

If you're in the position where you can't travel anywhere it becomes a closed shop as your local hospital is the only hospital available. That's not specific to the Island, it's the same anywhere a person with serious medical issues that can't travel resides. Pretty sure the scenario you've described where private patients have choice on and off Island through their insurance isnt the definition of a closed shop though. And since the Island still has a limited set of specialities at Nobles a good volume of patients are flown out every day for treatment.

I have no idea which doctors he's referring to but given that kind of salary on their hourly rate is mathematically impossible unless they work 106 hour weeks I think we can conclude that Busters medication is not working again . I also heard he has been telling the nurses there that he's a wealthy businessman that owns a lot of property in the US .... where was all that money when he was going through bankruptcy proceedings?

Can you provide insight into why you feel this should be opened up to competition, since thats usually the argument against a closed shop.

Unique and at the top level (consultant) scarce. If you find a good one you pay to keep them.

This unfortunately is something our MHK'S choose to ignore in their sound bites. They see the Island in all its promotional video glory which as beautiful as it seems, doesn't reflect the lack of facilities, the long Manx winter and the high cost of living.

I don't recall mentioning consultants. I recall mentioning Doctors. Would you and your friend Mr Google like to do this again for non consultant grades at Nobles Hospital? Since our MHK's like to focus on those big numbers at the top end to make their point sound great, but this particular slicing is going across the lower bands and that is where the damage will get done. Now if what you've posted above is accurate , the fact we have 1 consultant 'retiring', one still under investigation, and several considering their positions in the light of the reduced top end of the salary scale, I would hazard a guess we may be looking at a shortage in that area in a few years time. Our tax rates will be the only thing to attract Consultant Grades within a few years.

If you sign a contract at a particular salary in any job , then someone comes along after a year and says 'Previous guy fucked up. Take a pay cut or leave' , do you take the pay cut in any other job that you've spent a decade of more studying and training for?

The management structure there drains a lot of the resources which could be used to pay the doctors. Instead they're asking the Doctors to take pay cuts. Hospital admin side is turning into that classic "Jobs for the boys, Job for life" that we see in so many government departments here. I wonder if a Freedom Of Information request would disclose how many non-medical staff are on salaries in excess of £50k.

If this is the story I think you're talking about, it's their activities in a very much grey jurisdiction that has caused them problems.

Former or Current MHK's?

Reminďs me a lot of this bloke. Neither are people I'd want to work with or be my MHK. I'd suggest he starts by applying to be a local councillor since thats a basic understanding of how things work in Manx Politics , and then tone down the passive/aggressive/defensive bollocks and start campaigning after that. Running an Facebook group doesn't qualify you for anything except a mental health assessment.

You're assuming I had any in the first place.

Because anything resembling actual journalism from a Manx resident tends to catch the attention of the Athol St Mafia and makes you unemployable. I rather enjoy paying my bills on their less-than-scrupulous shilling.