Trust taken out of special measures after four years

The Care Quality Commission increased Isle of Wight Trust’s rating — which was most recently “requires improvement” — following an inspection in June and July.

The CQC also recommended IOWT — which is England’s only integrated acute, community, mental health and ambulance healthcare provider — be taken out of special measures after inspectors found examples of “outstanding practice” at St Mary’s Hospital and in community services.

Inspectors praised IOWT for planning major response services in innovative ways during the pandemic, including with drone supplies, armed forces and police and fire brigade support.

In community inpatients, inspectors said staff “empowered patients to have a voice and realise their potential”, citing one example where the patient’s “only goal was to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Staff worked tirelessly to ensure this was possible”.

However, the trust was also told to make several improvements, including ensuring there were enough clinical psychologists and other appropriate staff to meet patients’ needs and to make sure the psychiatric intensive care unit was “fit for purpose and meets the requirements of the Mental Health Act”.

IOWT was placed in special measures and rated “inadequate” in 2017 after inspectors raised concerns over patient safety and discovered a “subtle culture of bullying”. The trust was moved from “inadequate” to “requires improvement” two years ago.

The trust has now received a “good” rating across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led domains. Inspectors also noted: ”Staff felt respected, supported and valued.” 

Ted Baker, the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said: “At this inspection of the [IOWT], we found sustainable improvements have been put in place and embedded. This is a great achievement, the more so as it has taken place against the background of the covid-19 pandemic.

“The trust has worked incredibly hard to put the improvements needed in place and I am happy to recommend to NHS England and NHS Improvement that the [IOWT] should be taken out of system oversight framework level 4 of the new recovery support programme [NHSE’s replacement for the special measures regime] following this inspection.”