Isle of Wight NHS Trust staff 'go extra mile' for patients

Isle of Wight NHS Trust has received a good rating by inspectors and been taken out of special measures

An NHS Trust that was rated inadequate by inspectors for two years has now received a good rating.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken the Isle of Wight NHS Trust out of quality special measures.

A CQC spokesperson said they found staff "felt respected, supported and valued and were focused on the needs of patients receiving care".

The trust said it had worked "tirelessly" through the coronavirus pandemic to improve services.

Concerns raised by the CQC previously included patients being put at risk by delayed care and a lack of available qualified staff.

In 2017 inspectors found a "subtle culture of bullying" and in 2018 inspectors said there were "significant concerns" over patient safety.

Two years ago the trust was moved from an inadequate rating to "requires improvement".

NHS England and Improvement has now taken the trust out of special measures after an inspection report found 89 of its 108 ratings to be good or outstanding.

The inspections were carried out at St Mary's Hospital and community-based services between June and July 2021.

Inspectors highlighted 18 examples of outstanding care or service, ranging from the quality of patient care provided to significant improvements in the trust's work culture.

The trust's chief executive, Maggie Oldham, said it had been a "long road" to gain a good rating

Maggie Oldham, chief executive of the trust, said: "The people who make up our trust have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and even with all of those challenges they never lost focus on improving the services we provide to our community.

"This isn't the end of our improvement journey. We know there is more we can do, and our focus now will be on working with our partners to sustain the progress we have made and ensure our services are sustainable."

Inspectors said the trust was found to provide person-centred care, and staff were "determined" to meet the needs of patients and the public.

They also found a greater patient focus than seen before and a much improved engagement with staff, patients, partners, and the wider healthcare system.

Ted Baker, CQC chief inspector, added: "This is a great achievement, the more so as it has taken place against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The care and support received exceeded patient's expectations, and this has resulted in the trust's community services receiving an outstanding rating for being caring."