The Chairman of NHS Health Education England has spoken highly of the Island’s NHS and the training and clinical education progress of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals during a visit to the Island.
Sir Keith Pearson, Chairman of NHS Health Education England, which supports the delivery of healthcare and health improvement by ensuring that the workforce has the right skills, values and behaviours, was interested to learn how services on the Island are integrated and the different ways of working that has been introduced to overcome barriers including the use of advanced practitioners and community practitioners to support general practice. He was also impressed with the work to develop links with local schools in inspiring young people to go on to take up a career in the NHS.
Sir Keith Pearson visited St Mary’s Hospital and spent time talking to clinical staff about their experiences of living and working on the Island and the training opportunities and the support available to them. A tour was given of the Emergency Department, Pharmacy, Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit Sir Keith spent time talking to staff about their experience or training and education.
Impressed with the enthusiasm and the values demonstrated by staff, Sir Keith Pearson, said:
“It has been a delight to spend some hours with the CEO and her senior team and hearing the ambition they have for this fascinating integrated NHS Trust. Equally I was impressed by the range of opinions expressed by the many professional staff I met across emergency medicine, pharmacy and coronary care. The staff are absolutely dedicated to providing the highest quality care for the communities of the Isle of Wight.
“The degree of integration of health and care services that has been achieved on the Isle of Wight is a beacon for the rest of the NHS and particularly for the 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plan regions across England. I was also deeply impressed by the junior doctors I met during my visit – doctors who will become tomorrow’s consultants and general practitioners. Their enthusiasm for working on the Isle of Wight was palpable.”
Karen Baker, IoW NHS Trust Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said:
“It was a pleasure to host Sir Keith. He recognises that in order to ensure a workforce that is fit for purpose in the future we must listen to young people and design future jobs which meet their needs in order to keep them interested and motivated. It was really exciting to hear Sir Keith’s innovative ideas for doing this.”
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Sir Keith was accompanied by Patrick Mitchell, Regional Director of Health Education England South.
Featured photo L-R: Patrick Mitchell, NHS HEE Regional Director; Karen Baker, Chief Executive Officer; Sir Keith Pearson, Chairman NHS HEE and Dr Maria Lynch, Consultant, Emergency Department
