A patient who spent 12 hours overnight sitting on a hard chair in A&E because no beds were available is among those to have raised concerns about healthcare on the Isle of Wight, with a new report revealing that 61% of feedback about local health and social care services was negative.
The latest intelligence report from Healthwatch Isle of Wight has highlighted a number of issues affecting patients, including lengthy waits in Accident and Emergency, difficulties securing routine GP appointments and repeated cancellations at some dental surgeries.
Between 13th August and 12th September, the Island’s independent health watchdog received 177 pieces of feedback, of which 108 (61%) were negative.
A further 9 responses (5%) were mixed or neutral, while 60 (34%) were positive.
Among the most concerning experiences shared was that of a patient who described spending an entire night in A&E without being offered a bed or trolley.
The patient told Healthwatch:
“I had the unfortunate experience of spending 12 hours overnight in A&E sitting on a hard chair unable to sleep because there were no beds or trolleys available. Staff were so kind but that wasn’t enough.”
Access to GP services was another major concern, with one person reporting that a friend who contacted their surgery to arrange a blood test was offered an appointment in December.
GP services attracted the highest number of negative responses, with 25 recorded during the reporting period.
Dentistry was the second most common area of concern, receiving more than 15 negative responses, including complaints about appointments being repeatedly cancelled by some dental practices.
The report also highlighted concerns about the quality of care provided by gynaecology services.
Despite the negative experiences, a number of healthcare services received praise from patients.
Positive feedback was recorded for the ambulance service, dermatology, palliative care and residential and nursing care homes.
One resident singled out a Cowes pharmacy for praise, saying:
“Day Lewis (pharmacy in Cowes) does a great job and the staff are excellent.”
Responding to the findings, James Roach, Director for Neighbourhood Health for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, acknowledged that some of the experiences detailed in the report were concerning.
Mr Roach said:
“This feedback provides valuable insight into what matters to people, where services are working well and where there are opportunities to improve.
“We recognise that some of the experiences highlighted in this report are concerning, particularly those relating to access and waiting times, continuity of care and people being unable to get the information or support they need when they need it.
“We take this feedback seriously and will work with our providers and partners to understand the issues being raised and we also continue to evidence a range of improvements across the Isle of Wight.”
Mr Roach added that improving access to GP appointments remains a key priority, with the NHS reporting encouraging progress across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
He continued:
“GP services continue to account for the largest proportion of feedback, and improving access remains a key priority for us.
“We have recently seen encouraging improvements in timely access to GP appointments across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and we are continuing to work with practices to build on this progress and make it easier for people to access the right care at the right time.”
The findings provide a snapshot of experiences reported to Healthwatch Isle of Wight during the month-long period, rather than a representative survey of all patients using the Island’s health and social care services.
