We are responsible for planning and purchasing (commissioning) healthcare services to meet the needs of the Island population, and the majority of our services are provided by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, the only integrated acute, community, mental health and ambulance health care provider in England.
We work closely in partnership with neighbouring organisations to provide safe, effective, high quality and sustainable services. The Isle of Wight Trust partners with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and on acute services, and with Solent NHS Trust on Mental Health and Learning Disability services, as well as community services. Our ambulance service is delivered in partnership with South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Solent NHS Trust also provides direct services on the Island including public health nursing, sexual health, dental services and mental health community services for veterans.
We enjoy close working relationships with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and our local authority partners at the Isle of Wight Council. We also work alongside a wide range of voluntary and non-statutory services locally with many of these assuming an increasingly prominent and important role in the provision of local health and care services.
The Isle of Wight Health and Care Plan is a shared vision between us, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Isle of Wight Council and community and voluntary groups to enable people to live healthy, independent lives. It underlines our commitment to coordinate services to improve population health and reduce inequalities. The focus of the plan is to provide health and care services that better meet the needs of the local community and overcome the challenges for an ageing population. Helping people stay out of hospital, by ensuring they have the right networks of care in place around them, is central to the vision, as this not only helps improve the quality of their overall experience but also clinical outcomes.
The 12 GP practices on the Island play a key role in the local health and care system. They form a vital part of our membership organisation, ensuring that local people get the health services they need.