The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has announced a major change this afternoon (Tuesday), with a merger all but in name with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust which will see the 2 trusts share a Chief Executive, Executive team and clinical leadership team.
The newly announced partnership will aim to bring the 2 neighbouring organisations closer together and will mean they can better respond to the challenges facing the NHS and the changing needs of the people they serve. This will build on the Acute Services Partnership that was launched back in 2020.
All partners are ambitious for the Isle of Wight and want to ensure that Islanders, as well as those visiting the Island, receive the best possible care and health outcomes. Operating many fragile services, as the Trust currently does, puts this ambition at risk.
Melloney Poole, Chairman at Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said:
“Our 2 organisations are taking the next step in our Acute Services Partnership which will bring teams from both Trusts more closely together, while remaining two separate, statutory organisations.
“Working together and in collaboration with our partners is the only viable way to ensure safe, sustainable, and compassionate services for the Isle of Wight.
“We will continue to listen to the voices and needs of our communities and ensure they continue to be involved in the development of our services and the care they receive.”
“Creating a single leadership team and establishing shared clinical leadership will allow us to better plan and deliver services for a combined population of 800,000 people across Portsmouth, southeast Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight
Article continues below this advertisement
Maggie MacIsaac, Chief Executive at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board has said:
“To ensure the sustainability of all healthcare services on the island we are working together across organisations and geographies. This ethos of partnership working has been our guiding principle over many years. Bringing the Isle of Wight Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust closer together continues this collaboration, prioritises quality of care and maintains the patient at the centre of our plans.”
The Trusts will work together to engage with patients, stakeholders and members of the public in all the communities that they serve.
Islanders will be mindful of local services merging with those on the mainland in recent times after chances to the fire service and schooling in recent years.
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust will retain its current identity – for now.
In response to the news, Island MP Bob Seely has said:
“I spoke to Darren Cattell earlier and welcome this news.
“We’re making reforms to the NHS to ensure that it can deliver the healthcare services the Island, and the country, needs. Above all, that means making sure that NHS services on the Island are sustainable so that as many people as possible can be offered high quality NHS care on the Isle of Wight. To that end, we brought in new laws last year to make this happen.
What’s critical for patients and NHS staff alike is to develop a more integrated approach to healthcare. We’re going to see a more joined-up approach, with adult social services, the NHS, GPs and pharmacies working closely together, on the Island, and nationally.
“Today’s announcement paves the way for more reforms later this year. The IW NHS and Portsmouth already have a partnership arrangement to make sure clinical services on the Island are supported and this.”
Maybe all the deadbeat officers at the ambulance station might actually crawl into an ambulance and do some work. Hopefully they’ll transfer ambulance dispatch to to the mainland too. That should lose some dead wood.
They responded very quickly when family member needed them at weekend, couldnt fault them, i think they work hard doing a difficult job,
Your comments are an insult to a hard working team, never gone on strike.
Think before typing this rubbish.
1
The ambulance service here on the island is fantastic. If it’s a real emergency, they respond and arrive in 20 minutes. This is my experience when an ambulance has been needed for a family member.
Looks like nobody will be collecting you in the future then!!!!
Your a heartless nasty creature, perhaps one day you may change your disgusting attitude if your in a life threatening situation…
Where do people like you come from???…nasty nasty nasty…
This is all very well but undoubtedly will mean more trips to Portsmouth hospital from the island.My wife is on a waiting list for a minor op there but even blood tests and the pre op check up had to go to Portsmouth for.Why they couldn’t do it here is anyone’s guess.Booked the ferry for car and day return but appointment cancelled few days before due to nurse of sick.Needless to say we were out of pocket as Wightlink not reimburse as short notice.What about people with no car?Dont even mention NHS provided transportation as reserved for those who literally can’t walk!!
Unfortunately, it’s like that now, I have to take my son the Southampton for his eye surgeries. Tbh, I don’t actually mind because the treatment is better and more professional so worth it. I do understand your concerns though. It’s a pain.
Totally agree this is not acceptable, I went through it a few years ago with a family member and this needs to be looked at. Did you book your ferry through the Wightlink nhs discount I know I had to change one at short notice and they accepted the change.
Done the journey a large number of times.
It’s not the NHS at fault for ferry costs.
Great treatment at our & mainland hospitals.
More trips to Portsmouth, Yeah you want to try more tips to Salisbury. Had an MRI scan at St Marys for a suspected spinal problem, no problem at all. I was then referred to New Hall Hospital, Salisbury for a possible neck operation. This was a fair old journey to speak to a Spinal physiotherapist. Who explained what was wrong with me. COULD THIS NOT HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE ISLAND?
Second appointment at new hall for a CT scan, in The scan took at most 5 mins. The radiographer looked at me and said “Why didn’t you have this done on the island” ???? I told him New Hall wouldn’t allow that, i did request it and new hall said NO.
Third appointment to see the surgeon. He told me he would call me in 6 months to see how i was doing????
Bosses of bosses of bosses.Far too many chiefs and not enough Indians that’s why the NHS. is up the creek without a paddle.
We need more hospitals on the island, just as we did in the 70s…..The population is growing rapidly, and we have just one NHS hospital, crazy…
Yes, more hospitals would offer less pressure on St Mary’s, but can I ask where you intend to get the staff from? We struggle to staff the one hospital we have.
With all the new builds happening on the island, I feel building free accommodation for nursing and doctors would encourage more staffing..I would also give them free parking, because to charge nurses and doctors to park at work is bloody disgusting….
Whilst that is a smashing idea – you know full well nothing like that will ever happen. But, that wouldn’t solve our recruitment issues. No body wants to train as a nurse anymore because they’re not recognised for the hard work they do. Free accommodation and free parking is not enough of an incentive when you’re abused on the daily at work and often go without a break.
Don’t worry “Sigh”, our government has that one covered. Busy training lots of doctors, nurses and dentists, making sure we can bring in workers from overseas to fill the gaps, setting realistic wage scales. Oh, yes, no need to worry.
I agree, got an empty prison sat opposite, they should turn that into another hospital. I know it will take alot of work but then the cost of a new build when solid foundations are there ready to go
Again, where are you getting the professionals to staff this? Are you taking them from St Mary’s? Or are you plucking them out of thin air? I think it’s well known that this island could do with another hospital given our growing population, however, enough people already complain about the one hospital we have – let’s not add another for them to moan about. Let’s focus on fixing the one we have or at least try to make it more efficient for those that work there and the service users.
We do need more hospitals, I am afraid it will never happen. The money is not there from any direction (local or national), then there is staff, that are not available nationally let alone local. St Mary’s has been failing for years in all directions.
There is no hope for a local (IOW) Hospital that can cope, hence the inevitable, patients on the Island will be travelling to the mainland routinely for treatment, first step emergency treatment will be the norm for St Mary’s before being sent to the mainland for further treatment.
None of this is ideal at all, there will never be a fixed link and this is an Island that is treated like a third class poor relation on its knees at the mercy of the mainland more and more, ref Police/firemen.
Too right but rather have St Mary’s than no hospital here.
Need to make the best of what we have
Let us hope that with one chief executive they can halve the back office staff and put the money into front line servicea.
That should happen !! but don’t hold your breath, I can smell a complete new department for liaison with Portsmouth.
The will be like how the police is run then, less for the island and more for the mainland, just what we don’t need.
Good news in my professional opinion.
Let’s face it, it can’t get no worse.
But what does Portsmouth NHS Trust get out of the deal,
the only thing i can think of is the duck pond ?
I’ll be honest, I don’t see much in the way of “professional” in that opinion.
Do we get free travel over to Portsmouth now we are joining together.
Some CEO is up for large redundancy. Merge like Police, Fire and Education – then the Island will be worse off then!.
Surely a more integrated approach and pooled resources means more Islanders will have to go to the mainland to access NHS services since there is a shortage here. And the price of ferry travel becomes an NHS top-up cost. Not a fan of this myself.
And there is pop up Bob, our illusive MP, said
NHS services on the Island are sustainable so that as many people as possible can be offered high quality NHS care on the Isle of Wight. To that end, we brought in new laws last year to make this happen.
High quality care on the IOW .. where, when &, How Bob ??? A merger means just more bureaucracy ….
There must be an election coming !!
Bob spends more time in Ukraine than IW
Are the new laws he refers to, the ones that prevent staff striking?
Great news, mainland brains is what’s needed.
A bridge would be ideal, quickest way to transport patients to
Mainland Hospitals, quicker than Air Ambulance.
Yea be ideal for you to travel to your other house you mean stupid idea we need to stop paying stupid salaries to these chief executives and consultant’s, alot make far to much money in this country
Why are Islanders jealous of persons who own more than 1 home.
MPs and Actors own more than 1 home.
I know many born and bred islanders who own more than 1 home.
The PM owns at least 11 homes.
Get a life
2nd Home Owners bring a lot of money to the Island.
Bembridge is full of 2nd Home Owners who keep the Island building
Trade in business.
Where would Builders be without 2nd Home Owners coming to the Island.
A bridge would never happen.
The Island can’t even repair a pothole yet alone build a bridge.
I struggle to grasp how one chief exec for both hospitals is going to solve the dilemmas that St Mary’s faces. We need someone who understands the pressure our services are under and how we can deal with these effectively.
They ought to ensure that our hospital receives the appropriate services, rather than sending people over to the mainland. Who on earth wants to travel when they’re poorly?
But once again the statement that is issued is written in riddles – it’s all bells and whistles. Our hospital will slowly start to cut the services it needs the most until we have an empty shell of a hospital.
Nice to see all the comments from people who haven’t got a clue. Fed up of seeing all the bashing of frontline services on here, perhaps if you can all do such a good job you should try it?!
It’s not the frontline staff services that people are bashing as you put it, is the system
Don’t think anyone is having a go at the front line, ( at least I hope not) It’s the organisation and management levels that people are fed up with
Tory cuts, what it boils down to. Lack of real tangible investment.
If it means, as the article says, they’re cutting some ‘Chief Executive, Executive team and clinical leadership team’ jobs, then that has to be a good thing surely?
rest assured – the only people who will actually benefit from this are the pen pushing suits and not the patients or front line staff
Not to sure should have a trial period lot’s of four’s and against once they’ve done it they won’t change back don’t burn all your bridge’s
Anyone actually believe this nonsense is about anything other than cutting more corners and saving more costs – except we all know it won’t – in 5 years time there will be a brilliant ‘new’ initiative about “bringing back to the Island the clinical responses we need to to address our blah blah blah blah.” My god I’ve had enough of this absolute rubbish
In five years time you will have nothing and be happy.
How many bedblockers in Portsmouth????Are they going to need 10 million as well or will they be using our money!!!
Does this mean less journeys for us Islanders for treatment.
Watch this space.
This sounds more like passing the buck and giving the reins of the Island away to me .
we should be standing up for the Island not passing our selves to the mainlanders who care little about us .
I think it is a massive mistake which will show it’s self in the future to be so ,we Are an Island and I hope we stay that way we need to look at our needs for our people and not go cap in hand to the mainland for what we need .
I am proud to live here and proud of the Island or though not born here and will always say income from the Isle of Wight not part of Hampshire .
More identity loss for the island more behind the scenes wheeling and dealing this is a bad move for nhs services on the island perpetrated by an exec who couldnt organise a party in a brewery!
Gosh! I wonder if Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust will remove and acquire that idiotic ‘Cone’ planted outside the main entrance at St Mary’s?
It’s never worked as designed and has become a fitting symbol of the fractured service available at St Mary’s.
So soon it will just be Hampshire hospital, then government will say enough hospitals in Hampshire… and Island one will close… just become a care home..
Would not be so bad if we had a TUNNEL…
Sadly many Island people do not realise the benefits who having a bridge,
they think it will generate a lot of crime, read the news now.
The Island is hardly a crime free place.
It would make it easier for all Emergency services etc to gain access to and from
the Island.
Much easier for families to visit loved ones in mainland hospitals, much easier for
Patients who need treatment in Portsmouth or Southampton to attend their appointments.
It’s a win win situation for everyone.
If only they had the brains to work it out.
This is going to be just like when they joins Sandown and Shanklin doctors surgeries. They said things wouldn’t change. But they did half the time you have to go all the way to Sandown to see a doctor when the Shanklin surgery is only down the road. Not everyone drives.
You wait and see we will be having to travel to Portsmouth for an X-ray or a blood test next you wait and see.
Well let’s hope Portsmouth get their letters of cancelled clinics out quicker than they do, paid out 50pound for ortho appointment only clinic times available for islander 8.30,8.45 latest 9.00 they are having a, laugh.. My appointment was cancelled after struggling to get there so out of pocket, out of bon ami with Portsmouth… Shoddy service guy behind reception was fabulous when “Leanne”?? Said she had messaged, he told her she could not have my number isn’t in their system and our notes cannot be transferred or looked at simple electronic style St Mary’s are the only hospital in UK with their ridiculous Computer system because it was “cheaper” no other services not even GPS can access it… “don’t hold your breath people”!.