Long waits and uncomfortable chairs in A&E and frequent appointment cancellations by some dental surgeries are key issues in a new report from the Isle of Wight’s health watchdog.
Feedback on the Island’s health and social care services between 13th August and 12th September 2026 was 61 per cent negative (108 responses), five per cent mixed or neutral (nine) and 34 per cent positive (60), Healthwatch Isle of Wight found.
Key themes
Other major themes in the intelligence report include long waits reported for routine GP appointments and quality of care issues reported with gynaecology services.
The two most common feedback topics were GP services and dentistry with 25 and over 15 negative responses respectively.
Areas given positive comments included the ambulance service, dermatology, palliative care as well as residential and nursing care homes.
What patients said
One patient told Heathwatch,
“I had the unfortunate experience of spending 12 hours overnight in A&E sitting on a hard chair unable to sleep because there were no beds or trolleys available. Staff were so kind but that wasn’t enough.”
Another spoke of a friend who contacted their GP surgery to book a blood test appointment and was offered one in December.
A third said,
“Day Lewis (pharmacy in Cowes) does a great job and the staff are excellent.”
NHS response
James Roach, director for neighbourhood health for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said,
“This feedback provides valuable insight into what matters to people, where services are working well and where there are opportunities to improve.
“We recognise that some of the experiences highlighted in this report are concerning, particularly those relating to access and waiting times, continuity of care and people being unable to get the information or support they need when they need it.
“We take this feedback seriously and will work with our providers and partners to understand the issues being raised and we also continue to evidence a range of improvements across the Isle of Wight.
“GP services continue to account for the largest proportion of feedback, and improving access remains a key priority for us.
“We have recently seen encouraging improvements in timely access to GP appointments across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and we are continuing to work with practices to build on this progress and make it easier for people to access the right care at the right time.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
