1. Advice and Information -

    People have told us they can have problems registering with a GP. This article explains more about your rights and what do to if you are refused the right to register.
  2. Report -

    Healthwatch Isle of Wight visited 5 local GP practices during December 2013 and January 2014. The visits were part of Healthwatch Isle of Wights workplan for the year following a prioritisation exercise with the public.
  3. Report -

    The difficulties in communicating with health and social care professionals was identified as an issue on the Isle of Wight in 2013.
  4. Report -

    As part of the wider complaints workplan, Healthwatch Isle of Wights Enter and View Panel visited a sample of local GP surgeries to ascertain the accessibility of their complaints processes.
  5. Report -

    Following on from the Enter and View visits to a sample of GP surgeries to look at the accessibility of complaints processes, an analysis of each Isle of Wight GP practice website was undertaken, looking at complaints procedure information.
  6. Report -

    Healthwatch Isle of Wight carried out a survey about the experiences of people who had used cancer services over the previous two years. The survey took place in December 2015 and 220 people participated.
  7. Report -

    Over the past 18 months Healthwatch Isle of Wight has received increasing amounts of feedback relating to long waiting times and difficulties in accessing GP appointments.
  8. Report -

    In 2016/17 cancer services were again identified by Healthwatch Isle of Wight as a topic for special attention. In mid-2017 people were invited to take part in a survey if they had used cancer services since January 2016.
  9. Report -

    In 2017 the IW Clinical Commissioning Group asked Healthwatch Isle of Wight to carry out a survey and engage with the public to find out what local people want and need regarding primary care.
  10. Report -

    In October 2017 Healthwatch Isle of Wight staff and volunteers visited ten dementia-focussed community groups across the Island, including all the Alzheimer cafes. People were informed of discussion sessions to be held and were invited to take part.
  11. News -

    Our new report on cancer services highlights issues with travel, support and coordination alongside praise
  12. Response -

    Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion for health and social care services. We welcome the fact that the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group has put their draft Primary Care Strategy out for public consultation.
  13. News -

    Over the past 18 months Healthwatch Isle of Wight has received increasing amounts of feedback relating to long waiting times and difficulties in accessing GP appointments.
  14. News -

    Do you need to see a healthcare professional but struggle to attend during the day?
  15. Advice and Information -

    Primary care is changing. You may have heard the term Primary Care Network recently and be unsure what this means. Healthwatch Isle of Wight have created a patient guide to Primary Care Networks to explain what changes this may mean for you.
  16. Advice and Information -

    Are you looking to register with a GP?
    Below is a list of all the practices on the Isle of Wight
  17. Report -

    What is extended access?
    Extended access is the offer of pre-bookable appointments outside of the surgery’s core contractual hours. This could be either in the early morning, evening or at weekends.
  18. Report -

    Medical appointments as we knew them have dramatically changed as a result of Covid-19.
  19. News -

    Healthwatch Isle of Wight is reaching out to Island communities to hear from people directly about their experiences of accessing primary care and would particularly like to hear about people’s recent experiences after June this year.
  20. Report -

    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.
  21. Advice and Information -

    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.
  22. Advice and Information -

    We know from our conversations with the public that some patients report feeling rushed during appointments and struggling to make themselves heard. Here are some tips that could help you get the most out of visiting your GP.
  23. Advice and Information -

    Health issues unfortunately don't leave us alone at the weekend and people are often in need of medical assistance out of hours. Using NHS guidelines, we have provided some advice and information on where you can go for help when your GP is closed.
  24. News -

    Care at home services are an essential part of ensuring people can live safe and independent lives in their own home.
  25. Response -

    The Care Quality Commission has today published the results of their inspection of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust in November 2016. The trust has been rated as Inadequate overall.
  26. News -

    We have been contacted by numerous people with concerns about the future of Childrens Autism diagnostic services.
  27. News -

    An Isle of Wight film produced by Utility Films and Healthwatch Isle of Wight in collaboration with people with a learning disability will be presented at the Royal Society of Medicine Conference on the 20th November.
  28. News -

    Our Empowering Engagement event that we hosted in March is the first of its kind on the Island.
  29. Response -

    We are delighted that the government has announced that the IOW NHS Trust will be receiving £48m to improve acute services. We know that Island residents value local services and want to be treated here on the Island.
  30. Report -

    With a fast-moving response to COVID-19, real-time intelligence for services about the issues the public are facing is valuable.
  31. Report -

    Healthwatch England commissioned the four Local Healthwatch organisations (Healthwatch Hampshire, Healthwatch Southampton, Healthwatch Portsmouth and Healthwatch Isle of Wight) to carry out a survey to understand people’s views of the Long Term Plan.
  32. Advice and Information -

    It can be difficult to admit even to yourself that your child's behaviour might be abusive. If you do have concerns the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have created this resource to help you find the support you need.
  33. Report -

    2019-2020 was a challenging year in many ways. It was a year of consolidation and developing new priorities based upon what you were telling us, details of which are contained in this report.
  34. Report -

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a difficult year for everyone including Healthwatch and our staff and volunteers.
  35. Report -

    In the period 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021, Healthwatch Isle of Wight received 1415 pieces of feedback regarding Health and Social care, directly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  36. News -

    An Island-wide 'listening tour' gets underway this month encouraging people to talk about their mental health and wellbeing during the past 18 months.
  37. Advice and Information -

    The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide National Health Service (NHS) or adult social care. Here's some key information about the accessible communications you should expect from services.
  38. News -

    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.
  39. News -

    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.
  40. Response -

    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.
  41. Report -

    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.
  42. Advice and Information -

    The Easter bank holiday is fast approaching. Please see below for the pharmacy opening times during this period.
  43. Advice and Information -

    A year ago the Accessible Information Standard came into force. It requires any organisation providing NHS or social care to communicate in a way that everybody can understand. Here's a reminder of what you should expect.