Mainland treatment could be on the cards for patients on the Isle of Wight in a bid to cut waiting times, with the creation of a new NHS surgery hub in Winchester.
If approved, the NHS says it would provide a ‘central location’ for urology, orthopaedic and ear, nose and throat patients.
When the Isle of Wight NHS Trust previously offered Islanders the option for private operations at hospitals on the mainland, in October 2020, 65% of patients turned it down, preferring to wait longer for treatment at St Mary’s in Newport.
Now, health bosses across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight counties have agreed to create new facilities – subject to permission and funding – for those who have been waiting the longest and are in the greatest need.
The proposed hub would be at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, because it has links to existing services and the potential to expand.
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the NHS responded to the ever-increasing pressure, some surgical procedures were postponed to help cope with the more pressing needs. That meant the number of people waiting for elective surgery rocketed.
In April 2021, a year after the pandemic started, 1,456 Islanders were waiting 52 weeks or more for treatment. The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has since managed to reduce that to 422, by January 2022.
Nationally, the NHS has made cutting waiting times a priority, with £160million of funding available for solutions.
While surgery would continue at hospitals across the region, the Winchester hub would mean an extra 4 operating theatres and 44 beds. Eligible patients would be offered the choice of having their operation locally, or at the hub.
A document submitted to the Isle of Wight Council’s health and social care scrutiny committee says NHS England has been supportive of the plan in principle. The next step will be to submit a business case for approval, with the final go-ahead expected in December 2022.
The proposals will be discussed at the Isle of Wight Council’s committee meeting, on Monday 6th June.
We need another hospital here on the island, not sending people over on the ferries. If the travel was free because we have to travel to a hospital, then maybe, but it’s not is it. STOP BUILDING HOUSES AND OVER FILLING THE ISLAND WHEN WE HAVEN’T GOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO COPE WITH IT, hope you might see that. Isle of Wight Council need to sort themselves out and do this, rather than patting themselves on the backs and brown nosing all the housing developers.
Those on planning and the developers are all treated by private health care and educated privately too so could not care less
See it how it is
Funny that you should say that. When Skye got its fixed link it also got a new hospital because people from the nearby mainland could easily access it!
Thin edge of the wedge we will all end up having our operations on the mainland. We need investment in our hospital so that we do not need to travel to the mainland, as stated, 65% of islanders do not want to travel to the mainland for treatment and who is going to pay for the cost of travel we are in a cost of living crisis in case you haven’t noticed.
65% of patients previously “turned it down” as simply the distance and importantly the traveling cost and time was too great. It wasn’t a viable option. What do you think will happen this time????
FFS – how about something here on this Island for once.
We desperately need more facilities on the Island. Firstly,
A & E must be expanded. It’s nowhere near big enough and seriously unwell people have unacceptable waiting times to be seen. Dr staffing is nowhere near enough, leaving those who are there under great pressure. Where are the roaming GPs of old that used to do shifts in A & E? We need another hospital. St Marys is wonderful once you are admitted but it’s running to full capacity all the time.
So… does that mean Winchester does not have it’s own waiting list?
How can any hospital on the mainland have space or the facilities to take on Isle of Wight patients?
Not many years ago the Isle of Wight had a smaller population and five hospitals!!!
Nothing new, specialised surgery is on the mainland, I had spinal surgery in Southampton in 2014, traveling on the ferry and taxi was painful both ways!
St Mary’s needs to expand to cater for all surgeries also including a large dedicated NHS dental unit.
This isnt about reducing waiting times – it is about creating a policy of making you travel miles for treatment, which will deter some people from even bothering – reducing the waiting list by people just giving up. Also, by making people travel, it prevents the relatives from turning up at the hospital every day, cluttering up the place, as it would be too costly and time consuming to travel.
all part of the plan, to make things easier for the NHS and its staff.
It won’t work. I was admitted to the Queen Alexandria Portsmouth for emergency heart surgery. After 3 stents discharged the following day and told to make my own way back to the island. As it was an emergency I had no money or extra clothing on me, just told it was my fault for living on the Isle of Wight.
Don’t get me wrong our nhs is good but by god the have some disgusting habits and no concern as the comment above says go on get out your done find your own way home
My late father was taken in to st Mary’s with a suspected stroke many years ago, they admitted him, and as it was an emergency situation he had no car, no phone, and no money. The tests were carried out, and once the results came back, thankfully good on that occasion,
they discharged him at 1 o’clock in the morning, with nothing, no help only the clothes he had on and only by pleading with them was begrudgingly allowed to use a precious telephone to call me.
NHS? Inconsistent service.
And at times unacceptably uncaring.
Surely as the island has mature residents who have paid a lifetime of taxes surely it would be better to build a cardiac surgery within St Mary’s to deal with routine surgery such as stents. After all they are done under local anaesthetic and only take approx 40mins to 2hours to be completed. Obviously more complex surgery would have to be done at a larger hospital. A repatriation service is a must if a patient has to go to the mainland.
Oh . what a good idea. Yeah build a few more housing estates and Islanders will be traveling to Birmingham for treatment. We wont be able to afford to be ill.
THINK how many people arrive on the UK shores and imagine how they eventually add months to waiting time for us all
PORTSMOUTH IS FAR ENOUGH
Maybe just maybe it TIME to look at the situation regarding the Hospital situation on the Island with the ever increasing building of houses on the Island and TOTAL lack in health care services being increased to cover the many new residents , So why not look how the now closed empty prison buildings could be converted this must save money and time as most of the required infrastructure is already in place. and it is close to existing building so. travel also in place. They could ALSO include up to date accommodation for ALL grades of staff maybe support staff who may possibly come to the Island but hard to find a place to live
What happened to being able to choose your hospital? A vast majority of Isle of Wighters DO NOT DRIVE but have to rely on taxis or, goodness forbid – public transport, which is as reliable as a chocolate fireguard and doesn’t run in the evenings. The cost of ferries is extortionate. I agree with the above, its the NHS IOW keeping its fingers crossed that people, mainly elderly, will give up or others will just say ‘sod it’ and give up too. Bad bad idea. They shut Ryde to build houses, Shanklin long gone… all in the name of ‘progress’ makes me livid. Give me 5 mins with the powers that be and I’d state the case for the majority!
What’s wrong with the current possibility of going to Southampton or Portsmouth for Practice Plus Group. Excellent fast treatment and ops. Also Soton University which also has the ability to use the Spire for fast track knee/hip work. Main problem is IOW doctors insist in saying they have never heard of mainland referrals under NHS Choices. It is your right, insist on it. It’s somewhat more awkward travelling to Southampton or Portsmouth but worth it to be treated. Me and mine have had knees done and gall bladder removed with excellent results all done in a couple of months wait.
Guess won’t be long until St Mary’s turns into a care home….