The Isle of Wight Labour Party says it is concerned about plans to merge the clinical and leadership teams of acute services on the NHS - and is writing to the chief
executives of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and the Isle of Wight Council.

As previously reported by the Isle of Wight County Press, those running Portsmouth NHS Trust and the organisation behind St Mary's Hospital are to merge, under one chief executive.

Scroll down to tonight's response from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust...

However, the organisations will remain independent and ultimately responsible for the services they provide, said health bosses.

The move has been welcomed by Isle of Wight Conservative MP Bob Seely, who said it would mean a more integrated approach to healthcare and joined-up thinking.

However, Labour Party agent, Robert Jones, was cautious.

He said he was not making a judgement on the decision itself, but said the lack of consultation and information was of concern.

This week, he told party members: "If this means, for example, patients will have to travel over the water to be treated, some of us will find this onerous.

"Is that likely to happen?

"Well, we don’t know – because we haven’t been consulted or informed."

Some patients already make the trip to the mainland for appointments.

Health bosses insist the new way of working will allow that to be streamlined - better times to suit Islanders, better travel links and so on.

Responding to concerns by patient group, Healthwatch Isle of Wight, Darren Cattell, Isle of Wight NHS Trurst chief executive, admitted: "We're going to have to get better at our transport and travel arrangements for people leaving the Isle of Wight for health services - be it patients, relatives or staff.

"At the moment, they are not good enough. They take too long, they're not convenient and they're costly," 

To the County Press, he insisted there would not be a wholesale move of services off the Island. 

Rather, "our primary aim is to provide care as close to people's homes as we can. Where we're not able to do that, we're going to have to look to move those services. 

"It's going to be at the very edges, as opposed to mass service transfers," he said.

In his letter to Mr Cattell and chief executive of the Isle of Wight Council, Wendy Perera, Mr Jones said: "We seek the Trust’s assurance it will consult with elected councillors and local government officers; that it will not merely explain its decision, but seek public involvement with it."

He accused the Isle of Wight NHS Trust of having taken advantage of recent changes to the Health and Social Care Act - which removed its duty to consult on administrative matters.

He said: "The duty may be gone, but the practical necessity has not.

"The Island will not want to be presented with a fait accompli."

In an interview last week, Mr Cattell told the County Press: "It wasn't necessary to consult - this was a management decision.

"We did have briefings with local authority colleagues, with information passed on to the relevant people.

"I can only apologise if that system didn't work as efficiently and effectively as possible."