The Chief Minister has given his response to the ending by the United Kingdom of the bi-lateral agreement on health care.

The UK says that, from 2010, Manx residents will have to pay for all health care in NHS hospitals, other than emergency treatment.

Tony Brown says in future, visits to the UK should be treated in the same way as foreign trips, and fully covered by insurance.

He says the ending of the reciprocal agreement is another challenge for the Island:

"The Isle of Manx isn't part of the United Kingdom, but we have had this agreement which has served us well since the late 1940s, and we think it's unfortunate that the United Kingdom has now decided to terminate it.

"We'll deal with it, we have to deal with it. There will be an impact on the public because they will have to consciously now take out insurance and especially insurance which will repatriate them back to the Isle of Man for their travel.

"They already have to do this to Southern Ireland anyway, so it just means now it will be with the United Kingdon."