A cross-party group of MPs from the House of Commons Health & Social Care Select Committee visited the Isle of Wight yesterday (Thursday) to better understand the unique challenges the Island faces in providing adult social care. Chaired by Layla Moran MP, the delegation met with key stakeholders, including St Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight Council, Age UK, and Healthwatch IW.

The Isle of Wight has one of the highest proportions of elderly residents in the UK, with social care spending per capita the highest in the country. The MPs explored these pressures during their discussions, which also examined issues around patient discharge and care provision. Highlights of their visit included touring Hazel Lodge Care Home and meeting residents, as well as visiting Care in the Garden, a social enterprise that supports working-age individuals with carers.

The findings from the committee’s visit will contribute to a comprehensive national report on adult social care, set for release in April. The report aims to address the impacts of delaying reforms and will feature the Isle of Wight as a case study, alongside Nottingham.

Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East and a member of the committee, emphasised the importance of including the Island in the national conversation on social care reform. “The Island’s older population is 20 years ahead of the rest of the UK, making it an ideal place to understand future challenges,” he said.

Committee chairman, Layla Moran, added, “This visit gave us invaluable insights into the pressures and opportunities within Island social care. Our goal is to ensure our recommendations lead to positive, lasting reform.”

Joe Smyth, chief officer, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, explained: “The Island is a great place to test innovative work, due to our unique position of having integrated acute and ambulance services. It was a real opportunity for our staff to share how we are already transforming our services. We are also keen to do more to support the development of new models of care and welcome the opportunity to work together on trialling and implementing the needs of an increasingly frail community.”

Although not a member of the committee, Isle of Wight West MP, Richard Quigley was invited to join the delegation during its fact-finding tour.