The Isle of Wight’s lack of radiotherapy to treat cancer has a ‘huge impact’ on patients and families, a new report from the Island’s health watchdog has found.
Healthwatch Isle of Wight’s Cancer Services Review highlights the Island’s absence of the treatment, which uses high-energy radiation such as X-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors, as the single most frequently raised concern in its entire dataset.
What the review covered
Between February and April, the independent organisation surveyed residents on behalf of Wessex Cancer Alliance to find out what patients, carers, and families think about local cancer services.
A total of 229 people shared their experiences, from first noticing symptoms to life after treatment.
Problems patients raised
The report sheds light on a series of problems and concerns, including many feeling ‘abandoned’ at the end of treatment with no clear follow-up plan or emotional support and some GPs dismissing symptoms for too long, particularly in women and younger patients, leading to delays in support.
A patient with colorectal cancer said,
“It took months for the GP surgery to move away from what they thought were menopause symptoms to looking at something more serious.”
Travel to the Mainland
Healthwatch also flagged travel to the Mainland as the ‘biggest concern’, information sharing between hospitals, departments and GPs often being poor and most people finding out about practical support such as ferry discounts and travel cost refunds by chance rather than at diagnosis.
One breast cancer patient said going over to the Mainland every day for three weeks was ‘exhausting’.
What is working well
Positive findings included praise for cancer nurses at St Mary’s Hospital ‘again and again’, on-Island chemotherapy being described as ‘outstanding’ by many residents and consistent acclaim for The Lighthouse Clinic in Newport.
Wessex Cancer Support Trust, Mountbatten Isle of Wight and the Daisy Ring Bus were also described as making a real difference.
Recommendations for change
Healthwatch made several recommendations on the back of the research, such as clear public information on radiotherapy provision, sharing travel support schemes at diagnosis, building a structured aftercare pathway with proactive contact after treatment ends, and routine access to psychological support.
Addressed to Wessex Cancer Alliance, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight NHS Trust and wider system partners, the improvement points are based directly on what residents told the watchdog.
Healthwatch has said it will monitor progress and publish an update in October.
Community event this week
The watchdog is hosting a community event, Coming Together for Cancer, at The Riverside Centre in Newport between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday (1st July 2026).
The forum will be an opportunity for system partners to hear directly from people with lived experience and to work together on what needs to change.
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
