Many healthcare services like those provided at St Mary’s Hospital are too critical to be provided on the mainland. I’m focused on supporting St Mary’s as well as improving access to GP and dental services on the Island.
As your MP, I successfully lobbied ministers to support the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s bid for a £48 million healthcare transformation programme.
For 2024, we will complete work on
• upgraded wards at St Mary’s Hospital
• a new diagnostics centre at St Mary’s
• and a new community health hub in Newport.
I am fighting for more NHS dental services and I am working closely with the Integrated Care Board to bring more dentists to the Island. This year, the Government will publish its Dental Recovery Plan, setting out changes to help constituents access dental care.
On NHS dentists:
First there is a temporary increase in NHS payments for Island dental practices to increase NHS treatments.
Second, the recommissioning of contracts with NHS dentists will increase capacity on the Island.
Third, starting by March at the latest, a mobile dental bus will come to the Island.