Health Minister Eddie Teare says it should be possible to meet the needs of Noble's Hospital and the TTXGP during practice week, despite the earlier than usual road closures.

Roads will close at 4pm on the mountain section and 5pm around the rest of the course, on four consecutive days, to accommodate extra practicing for the groundbreaking 'clean emissions' event.

Mr Teare is happy with the arrangements as a 'one off' event in the 2009 TT programme, but he can't guarantee medics will be released early for the start of the sessions.

He told Manx Radio:

"I can't give any blanket guarantees we will be able to release staff an hour early.

"We've still got patients to see, we've still got an organisation to run, but it's up to the hospital management team to decide who they can relaese and who they can't release and, inevitably, somebody will be disappointed."

Mr Teare was also asked if there would be a knock on effect for the practices themselves and whether, as with the TT marshals, a minimum number of medical staff was required for a session to go ahead.

He replied:

"The short answer is I just don't know.

"That would be a decision for the medical director of the races, whether he feels that he has got enough staff available."