Mountbatten will not lose more than £527,000 of funding this Autumn, following a U-turn from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The decision follows constructive conversations, in recent weeks.
Mountbatten Isle of Wight welcomed this positive step, which will safeguard vital and expert community services and 24/7 end-of-life care, for the time being.
The next 6 months will be a period of transition with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and Mountbatten to continue to work together, to negotiate the new Isle of Wight contract and funding for services beyond April 2026.
A disinvestment of £1.4 million from Mountbatten Isle of Wight’s budget has been proposed by the ICB for the 2026/7 financial year. This will be central to the ongoing conversations about the services they will fund, going forwards.
Mountbatten CEO, Nigel Hartley MBE, thanked staff and volunteers for their continued efforts and praised Islanders for their huge support in writing letters to the ICB, MPs and Healthwatch, as well as signing a petition.
Earlier this week, the Mountbatten was told it would receive around £996,000 from the government, in phase two of an allocation of emergency cash for the hospice sector. It will be split between Mountbatten Isle of Wight and Mountbatten Hampshire and can only spent on building refurbishment projects and equipment — not day-to-day running costs. This means it cannot be used to offset any proposed ICB funding cuts.
Up to 1/3 of the money Mountbatten currently needs to operate comes from the NHS, while at least 2/3 is from the public, through fundraising, donations, gifts in wills, grants and via our network of charity shops.
Joe Robertson, Isle of Wight East MP, has reacted to the news by saying:
“I am pleased that the ICB have seen sense and realised they cannot cut in-year funding for our Hospice on which so many vulnerable Island families rely.
“The fight is not over though. They are still proposing a huge cut next year and have not produced any credible evidence on which to base this proposal.
“I am working with local Healthwatch, the Government and others, to fight the defunding of our Hospice to finance Hampshire hospice care”.
Brilliant news . After losing two good friends and the excellent care they recieved on their end of life days there it’s well deserved. I’m currently going through bereavement counselling there , after losing my mum last year, although she passed on the mainland they have accepted to support me and I can’t praise them enough . Best news all week. . Keep up this much needed and vital service