All 263 beds at two Isle of Man hospitals have been replaced at a cost of £300,000, the island’s Health Department has said.

Many of the beds at Noble’s and Ramsey Cottage hospitals were more than 15 years old and in need of “frequent maintenance”, according to a government spokesperson.

Before they were deployed, the new beds were tested by the Electrical and Biomedical Engineering (EBME) Department, washed and then moved to the appropriate ward. The whole task of installing the new beds took just over three days, a day less than initially thought.