Several NHS trusts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will merge next year, forming the 'largest provider of its kind in England'.

Solent NHS Trust, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and part of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust will become the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust will provide mental health, learning disability and community health services.

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It is set to launch in April 2024, subject to final approval from NHS England, with the move believed to have the ‘potential to reduce health inequalities’ across the south.

Ron Shields, Chief Executive Officer Designate for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As the largest provider of its kind in England we will attract more people to work with us, enabling us to further improve services and reach those we serve in the ways in which they most need us to.”

Daily Echo: An independent review in 2022 found that a combined trust was required in order to deliver this across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The merger will see 12,500 members of staff who currently deliver community and mental health services for the existing trusts move over to this organisation.

The majority of the Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), currently delivered by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, will transfer into Southern Health, prior to the creation of the new organisation.

NHS bosses say the the driving factors behind the creation of the new trust are 'the need to transform services to meet increasing demand and complexity of health issues, and to improve the consistency of care across the region'.  

Ron Shields said: “As individual Trusts, we have worked diligently to provide great care to our communities, but we see the potential to reduce health inequalities and truly deliver to a higher standard, with greater effectiveness, by combining our workforce, our strengths and expertise.

“Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will be a significant voice in health and care, raising the profile of the importance of mental health, learning disability and community services to the life outcomes of our population.”