By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has been ranked 73rd out of 134 acute hospital trusts in England and placed in Segment 3 of the new NHS league tables published today.
The tables, released as part of Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s 10-year plan to reform the NHS, reveal that 80 per cent of trusts are currently failing to meet performance or financial targets.
The rankings, based on factors such as A&E and operation waiting times, patient experience, staff absences and financial management, are intended to increase transparency and accountability across the health service. Being placed in segment 3 indicates that the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is off-track in a number of areas, though it is not among the worst performers.
However, the Island’s position is closely tied to Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which shares a leadership team with the Island’s trust as an NHS Group. Portsmouth was ranked 104th and along with 30 other trusts was placed in Segment 4 – which reflects significant underperformance across the range of targets.
Controversially in 2021, £10 million was passed to Portsmouth from a £48 million award to improve health services on the Island. The funds were used to build two new wards with 72 beds at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The IW NHS Trust initially refused to provide information on how many Islanders were being treated at Portsmouth, but under a Freedom of Information Act request it was disclosed that, as at September 2022, only 18 Islanders a month were being treated at Portsmouth. The IW Observer has asked for an update on the figures, again using the Freedom of Information Act.
Southampton General Hospital, meanwhile, is ranked 48th and, like the St Mary’s sits in Segment 3.
The new system will link NHS executive pay to performance, with leaders of the worst-performing trusts facing pay freezes, while those at the top could receive bonuses and additional funding. The tables also aim to give patients more power by helping them make more informed choices about where to receive care.
In the non-acute category, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare Trust, which provides community and mental health services across the region, was ranked 33rd and was also placed in Segment 3.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “I promised to be honest and transparent about the state of the NHS and that’s what we’re doing today.
“More than £200bn of taxpayers’ money is now going into the NHS. We’re not running an ‘all must have prizes’ service. We’re going to treat NHS leaders like grown-ups, give them the tools to do the job, and where they’re falling short, we’re going to hold them to account.”
On asking for a comment from the IW NHS Trust the IW Observer was directed to statements on the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth NHS Trust websites. Both statements point out that two years ago the organisations signed up to the NHS Recovery Support Programme and had made significant improvements since then. Both statements add: “We are confident that with the plans we have in place, we will be able to continue this progress and provide our communities with the best possible care and timely access to services.”
Isle of Wight Observer