Work is set to start next month on the Isle of Wight NHS's ‘once in a generation’ capital investment, which will see a new emergency floor at St Mary’s Hospital and a new mental health hub.
Funding for building plans drawn up as part of the NHS Trust’s Investing in Our Future (IOF) programme has been approved by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.
A £23.7 million upgrade of St Mary’s Hospital will start in early November.
It will create a new emergency care floor, reconfigure wards and delivery a new high-dependency unit to improve the flow of patients through the hospital.
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A new £6.7 million mental health and community hub will be built in Newport, bringing health and care services together with the community and voluntary sectors, much closer to people’s homes.
These projects follow a £10 million investment in additional beds at Portsmouth’s QA Hospital, which the IW NHS Trust says ensures Islanders who needs inpatient care on the mainland can access it.
A further £12.5 million investment in digital infrastructure and technology is awaiting regulatory approval.
IOF will bring total capital investment to the Island’s NHS to £75 million over four years.
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Dr Nikki Turner, acting chief executive, said: “This is great news for our NHS and our community.
“Investment on this scale means that we can make a real difference to the way services are provided now and lay strong foundations for the future of health and care on the Isle of Wight.”
Health Minister Lord Markham said: “Improving care for patients is one our top priorities, and this funding will transform NHS services for thousands of residents on the Isle of Wight.
“Creating a new mental health and community hub in Newport and modernising St Mary’s Hospital means patients can benefit from state-of-the-art new facilities and more convenient care closer to home.
“This will help us bust the Covid backlogs and speed up treatment and diagnoses times.”
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Pam Fenna, chairman of the trust’s Patient Council, said: “We look forward to hearing more about the detailed plans and working with the trust to maximise the benefits this investment will bring to the Isle of Wight community.”
Bob Seely MP said: “I am delighted to see the money we campaigned for has arrived and building work can start.
"This will result in improvements in a range of services that will benefit Islanders for years to come.
"I would like to thank everyone on the Island who worked on this bid, including the former chief executive of the IW NHS Trust Maggie Oldham.
"It was a pleasure to support the project and to make sure ministers understood its importance to the Island."
The Island’s NHS will also welcome further investment after the UK Government announced one of the ten new community diagnostic centres will be built at St Mary's.
The centre will mean greater access to diagnostic tests for Islanders, reducing waiting times and improving outcomes.
Nikki Turner, director of strategy, partnerships and digital for IOW NHS, said: "A new emergency care floor, high dependency unit, reconfigured acute wards, and the community and mental health hub will make a huge difference to our patients and our staff.
"Things will look different at St Mary’s very quickly and there will be changes to how people get on and off the site, but we will do our very best to keep disruption to a minimum.
"This much-needed investment follows the creation of a brand-new eye theatre and extensive improvements underway at the ambulance station.
"All this work will help us meet the future needs of the community, reduce waiting times, and improve patient experience."
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