News and reports

Healthwatch Isle of Wight has launched a new public engagement project in partnership with Wessex Cancer Alliance, to better understand the experiences of Island residents affected by cancer.

These reports are shared with local providers and commissioners of services so they can hear where things are working well, and take action when services need improving.

Healthwatch Isle of Wight recently undertook a familiarisation visit with Red Funnel, travelling on the Red Jet and returning on the East Cowes car ferry. The visit aimed to better understand how accessibility, medical travel, and community support are embedded within Red Funnel’s services, and how this translates into real passenger experience.

Our team recently went on a familiarisation trip aboard the St Clare ferry with Wightlink’s Sara Howden (Head of Customer Experience) and Sam Mitchell (Head of Fleet Operations), to gain a better understanding of how Wightlink’s systems work, particularly in light of the feedback we hear from Island residents about challenges when travelling to hospital appointments or accessing the mainland for care.

In May, we began receiving a significant amount of feedback from people concerned about
the potential impact of funding cuts to Mountbatten Isle of Wight. Due to the high volume of
responses, we carried out a thematic review, the findings of which are presented in this report.

The August bank holiday is fast approaching. Please see below which pharmacies are open over this period.

Healthwatch Isle of Wight is your local health and social care champion.
We ensure that NHS leaders and decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care.
We can also help you find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.

Healthwatch Isle of Wight has completed a series of Enter and View visits to four residential care homes for people with learning disabilities during May and June 2025. These visits form part of Healthwatch’s statutory role in championing the voices of service users and ensuring that people receive safe, dignified, and person-centred care.

These reports are shared with local providers and commissioners of services so they can hear where things are working well, and take action when services need improving.

Every year we ask people on the Isle of Wight to complete our prioritisation survey, the top three services/topics chosen by the public then become our priorities for the forthcoming year.
This way, we can ensure that we are focusing on the issues that really matter to local people.

The second May bank holiday is fast approaching. Please see below for the pharmacy opening times during this period.

NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight would like to understand your experiences and views on how we can improve our services.