Published: 18/12/24
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ran a 14-week public consultation from December 2023 – March 2024 into how £700-£900 million should be invested to modernise our hospitals and improve the effectiveness and sustainability of health services in Hampshire for the future.
Over 98,000 people interacted with the consultation through various routes: by attending one of our listening events, engaging with social media posts and attending community groups as well as by responding directly to the questionnaire.
Once the consultation ended, all of the feedback received was analysed by an independent research organisation which they compiled into a report, for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, setting out what people think about the proposals. NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight also published their own consultation activity report.
Following an assessment by the Consultation Institute, under its Consultation Quality Assurance Scheme, the public consultation fully met the requirements for ‘best practice’. The highest award that can be made.
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, together with NHS England in relation to specialised services, are now reviewing all the feedback, along with a wide range of other evidence, information and data to develop a Decision-Making Business Case. The Decision-Making Business Case will provide an evidence base to inform decision-making by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight and NHS England. As part of this Decision-Making Business Case, any new evidence or alternative options are assessed.
Reviewing and evaluating all the information and evidence is vital to the next stages of the plans to improve Hampshire’s hospitals and the quality and sustainability of hospital services. It is important that sufficient time is spent thoroughly analysing all the feedback received as this can alter how the consulted proposals are understood and alternative suggestions may need to be considered or further work undertaken. Owing to the quantity, quality and breadth of feedback this part of the process has taken longer than originally planned.
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight are also considering how to ensure the sustainable staffing of services for the future and which proposals provide the best value for money. There continues to be ongoing engagement with patients, carers, clinicians, community and voluntary groups, local MPs, health providers and local authorities to help us assess the feedback, its impact on the programme and whether further steps are required.
The Decision-Making Business Case will be considered in the new year at a NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board meeting held in public where the decisions required to progress the programme will be discussed and taken. Further details of the meeting will follow for those who want to hear the discussion and how the decision is made.
The final decision will be based on which option offers the greatest improvements for the greatest number of people and gives NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight the greatest confidence that it will deliver best quality care for people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. In taking this decision, decision-makers are looking at all the evidence in the round, including information received from the public consultation.
Once a decision is made, the programme moves into the implementation phase. There will be opportunities for patients, staff and local people to engage with the plans and ensure their views continue to inform our work and the design and creation of the new hospital for Hampshire and the investment in Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.