ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL WELCOMES MULTI-MILLION POUND INVESTMENT IN ISLAND HEALTHCARE

A multi-million pound investment in Island health services has been welcomed by the Isle of Wight Council.

The government has pledged £48 million to the Isle of Wight NHS Trust which will be used to help improve patient care for Islanders and ultimately save more lives.

Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, the council’s deputy leader, said: “We welcome this much-needed investment in our Island health service.

“It rightly recognises the extra demands we face as an Island and shows the government is committed to creating the right conditions to allow the trust to improve and deliver the best possible care for us and our loved ones.

“While we thank government for this extra funding in health, we would also remind ministers of the need for a secure and sustainable funding base for adult social care.

“Here on the Island, a far greater proportion of residents is elderly than is the case nationally — equally, we have increasing numbers of disabled adults, including people with mental health needs, who need support.

“The new Prime Minister has already indicated his support for a fairer funding settlement and we will continue to lobby the government to get additional funding to help meet the pressures of being an Island.”

Councillor Clare Mosdell, Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said the investment was significant and would provide a catalyst for better health and care integration on the Island.

She added: “This is fantastic news not only for our local NHS trust but for the Isle of Wight as a whole.

“This funding will ensure our hard-working nurses, doctors and other NHS staff have access to modern facilities and state-of-the-art equipment to help drive forward improvements in patient care we are all working as a system to achieve.

"Equally, I would like to see some of this additional funding used to support those Islanders who need to travel to the mainland for their health appointments and operations, including their carers when appropriate.

“We will continue to work with the trust as part of the Local Care Board and One Public Service programme to explore where this new money would have the greatest impact for the local community."