On Air Now Jack McHugh 3:00pm - 7:00pm Craig David - Fill Me In Schedule

Island Residents Invited To Help Shape Future Priorities For Local Health Services

Island residents are being invited to help shape the priorities for local health care services in their area over the next five years.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare, a new NHS Foundation Trust formed on 1 October 2024, to deliver community, mental health and learning disability services in the area, is looking to work with its local communities to develop its Trust strategy and priorities for 2025-2030.

Over the last two years, the emerging organisation has received a wide range of valuable feedback about the hopes and concerns people have in relation to its services.

In particular, people have said the new trust should:

  • Deliver local, joined up care, close to homes and tailored to the needs of individuals and communities
  • Deliver more consistent care across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to reduce the ‘postcode lottery’ of access, experience and outcomes

Now the trust is asking ‘what matters most” and feedback will help hone their list of priorities in their five-year plan.

Alex Heritage, Chief of Strategy and Transformation for the new Trust said:

“We want our strategy to be developed with our service users, their families and carers, as well as our staff, partners and our local communities, so it focuses on the things that matter most.

“We want to hear from as broad and diverse group of people as possible to help us work towards delivering a shared vision for providing outstanding care that supports people on the Isle of Wight to live their best and healthiest lives.”

Over the next two months, there will be a number of opportunities for people to share their views including:

- Via the Shaping our Future Survey which runs from now until midnight on 6 November 2024
- Joining a community conversation
- Sharing their views via email to [email protected]
- Registering their interest in taking part in a workshop in late November via [email protected]

Alongside these opportunities, the Trust will also review its clinical information, health population statistics and national government, local authority and health partners’ plans.

It will then bring all the information and feedback together into a series of workshops in late November/early December involving staff, partners and those with lived experience of using its services, to help develop a list of priorities.

A smaller representative group will then produce a draft strategy to be published ahead of a decision at the trust board’s meeting in March 2025.

Alex added:

“This is about the future of your community, mental health and learning disability services on the Island, so I would urge everyone to get involved and share your views about what matters most to you.”

More from Isle of Wight News