News and reports

Public health and care champion Healthwatch Isle of Wight has a new name at the helm after eight years of dedicated service draws to a close for its former chairman.

Bob Pitts, currently a Non-Executive Director at Healthwatch Isle of Wight has taken over the role of chairman from Chris Orchin who has held the post since 2015.

The last year has been difficult for everyone, including the providers of health and social care services, as the process of recovery after COVID developed.

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.

Do you look after a family member, friend or friend who needs extra help due to an illness, frailty, disability, or mental health issue?
If the answer is yes, you may be considered an unpaid carer.

If your GP knows you are a carer they can provide you with support, advice & information.
You are also entitled to a free flu jab.

Psease see the toolkit below for information you may find useful as an unpaid carer.

This morning (Monday 22nd May 2023) Healthwatch Isle of Wight contacted the IOW NHS Trust following concerns raised by people about the future of Wellow ward.

We were told that the ward will not be closing, it will be moved temporarily to another area of the hospital, but the same number of beds will be provided for people needing end of life care. There will still be a separate room available for family members to use.

The services provided by staff on the ward are recognised and valued by the Trust and they will be announcing the new home for Wellow ward within St Mary hospital, within the coming weeks.

We will be working closely with the Trust on this and will share any updates as and when we receive them.

The Lloyds pharmacy located in the Sainsbury supermarket in Newport is closing.
Originally the closure was planned for the 25th July 2023. However, this has changed and the new closure date is 13th June 2023.
Please remember to make alternative provisions for any prescriptions you may need in plenty of time.

If you need to travel from the Isle of Wight to the mainland for an NHS-funded hospital appointment, you can get 50% off your ferry crossing with Wightlink.

Call 0333 999 7333 to book, quoting 'Wightlink healthcare discount'.

Full information and terms and conditions are available at www.wightlink.co.uk/nhsappointments

Like many organisations, general practice needed to adapt quickly as our country went into lockdown and respond to new ways of working such as offering video and telephone consultations. Some people have told us that these new ways of accessing GP services have
worked well for them, allowing them to save time and get the help they need, quickly. But for others it’s been more difficult, time consuming and frustrating trying to access support when they need it.

The health and social care landscape has changed a lot in ten years, but thanks to you taking the time to share your story with Healthwatch Isle of Wight, we've been able to champion your voice to help improve care.

The rising cost of living is an issue that is likely to dominate the national policy debates for the next 18 months. We want to help decision-makers understand the impact on people's physical and mental health. We know that rising costs have a direct effect on people's wellbeing and would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this.

Every year, Healthwatch Isle of Wight looks at five health and social care services/topics in depth, highlighting people’s experiences of this service, looking at what is working well and what needs to be improved.

How people feel about waiting to access hospital care: Findings from a patient survey.