Following the launch of an online petition, calling for the reciprocal healthcare agreement with the United Kingdom to continue, the Island's Health Minister Eddie Teare faces questions on the subject in Tynwald today.

The agreement is due to finish at the end of March next year, after which Isle of Man residents travelling to the United Kingdom will have to pay for any hospital stays, in the event of accidents or illness.

Onchan MHK Peter Karran will quizz Mr Teare on a circular he sent to members of Tynwald earlier this month, in which he referred to the "considerable work which has been undertaken" and "the main areas to be addressed, [which] have been identified".

Mr Karran wants the DHSS to do everything possible to help people affected by the change and on Agenda last night he said:

"It's only a year away [and] there are a lot of elderly people who are very distressed over this whole affair.

"We need action, being proactive rather than reactive, and what I want to see is what the minister has got down, because I am almost certainly going to be putting down a motion at the next Tynwald, because I don't think they will go about it in the most effective way."