Mental Health Services On Isle Of Wight Face Scrutiny

Mental health services on the Isle of Wight have been questioned by councillors after watchdog reports found improvements are needed.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was challenged at County Hall last week after the Care Quality Commission rated its leadership, adult community mental health services and mental health crisis services as ‘requires improvement’.

The trust has said it’s responding ‘positively and proactively’ to the findings.

Cllr Claire Critchison, who represents Chale, Niton and Shorwell, asked why services had been allowed to reach their current position.

She said people with mental health issues were finding there was ‘nowhere to turn’, and questioned whether funding and staffing changes had contributed to the problems.

Cllr Karl Love, who represents East Cowes, said residents had been telling him services were getting worse rather than better.

Lucy Abel, the trust’s clinical director for the Isle of Wight, said demand for mental health services was increasing while the money available was reducing.

She said previous attempts to make smaller, incremental changes had ‘run out of road’, meaning more fundamental changes were now needed.

The trust says it’s working on a wider transformation of mental health services, based on best practice, and is seeking feedback from people who use its services.