Almost two-thirds of recent feedback on the Island’s health and social care services is negative, according to a report from the Isle of Wight’s health watchdog.
Further issues when trying to get a GP appointment, a lack of support for people with diabetes and struggles accessing NHS dentistry were key issues highlighted in Healthwatch Isle of Wight’s April-May Intelligence Report.
Overall, residents’ responses were 61% negative (196), 36% positive (116) and 3% mixed or neutral (9). In comparison, feedback from the previous month, in the watchdog’s March-April report, was 45% negative (196), 48% positive (210) and 7% mixed/neutral (31).
One Islander has told Healthwatch:
“Was registered with an NHS dentist for years. Appointment cancelled then told emergencies only and then dentist closed for good.”
Another has said:
“I had waited a month for this appointment. I got to my appointment on time and waited half an hour to be seen. I felt like the doctor couldn’t get rid of me quick enough.”
In response to the report, a spokesperson for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight has said:
“We would like to thank Healthwatch Isle of Wight for sharing this report, and for all they are doing to give local people on the Island a voice on these very important healthcare issues.
“We are pleased that Island residents have felt that there are more positive changes being made on the Isle of Wight as we work together alongside our partners and NHS provider trusts to ensure the best care possible but there is still more to do.
“The past two years has seen NHS dental access improve, GP appointments have risen, and we have launched more collaborative ways of working with our community services.
“Dental practices are paid a higher rate to address some of the geographical challenges and there are plans to further increase access.
“GP appointments have seen record highs and while we understand that not every patient will experience these positive steps directly, we are continually striving to ensure the NHS is delivering the best care for everyone.”
Any improvement is minor. These problems did not just happen; the NHS is at a crisis point, and any punitive improvement will not change the experiences of millions of people in pain or struggling NOW.
People with large amounts of money can receive treatment in days, whether it is for dentistry or Medical Care.
The shocking part is that very often the same Doctor will do an operation in the same hospital privately that will take possibly 2-3 years under the NHS.
We have a very very long time to wait for anything like the NHS that is required, the current government will never achieve what is needed and that is certain.
There is no simple solution, but we need to at least be seeming to be moving in the right direction, that does not mean a government/NHS telling us things are improving, it needs people to see/experience any improvements!
I have always said that the NHS was the last great thing
about this country, but sadly it is finished.
Now known to many as the
No
Hope
Service
They employ too many employees, many are not needed
there is also too much admin staff and managers.
Bank nursing costs a fortune, there is too much
staff sickness amd too much overtime costs etc etc
It doesn’t matter how much money the Government
keep pumping into this failing machine, nothing will
change unless they address certain issues.
“Ban excessive sick pay, ban overtime and
Bank nursing rates”
Bring in more overseas staff, this will save
millions of pounds in salary costs.
No. I for one begged people to resist PFI for hospitals over 15 years ago; we were sold a conservative money pot designed to cripple the NHS in order to produce profits for the rich. I told people if they did not vote against it pretty soon all that would effectively be left was Maternity and A and E. I told people that they would end up paying for things like hip replacements etc UNDER the NHS (10k plus), that their only option for timely treatment would be medical insurance similar to the US, who were just some of the ones pushing to sell us PFI contracts. Did anyone listen? No, you all voted them in. For fourteen long, destructive years. As ye sow….
Recruitment needs re assessing, Nurses now have to have a degree to start their training, why?
We are losing out on the non academic people who would make excellent “nurses”.
12 hour shifts are no good for your personal health and will no doubt cause more absenteeism’s. Start looking after the staff.