Please note, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed in 2024 when Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Solent NHS Trust and some services from Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust merged to form a new organisation. You may find some documents reference our legacy organisations. New versions for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare will be available soon.
'Getting Involved’ means playing an active part in the work of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. There are many different ways that you can take part: you can come and work with us, you can join as a member or you can volunteer, support our Trust charity- Brighterway and help us to improve by sharing your ideas, input and feedback.
We also have a variety of patient, service user and carer groups that you can join to have your say. If you are interested in joining, please contact the team.
Input into our new Trust strategy
We are currently developing our strategic priorities by asking people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight what matters most to them. Our strategic priorities are the most important things that we need to do, that will make the biggest difference to our patients and communities. Share your views about this and find out more here.
Brighterway is our Trust charity. Its aim is to support recovery and enable people to lead a brighter life through the use of fundraising and grant making for projects, helping their overall quality of life, wellbeing and independence.
You can find out more by visiting Brighterway's website.
A carer is anyone who provides care or support to another person with their day-to-day life – carers are typically family members or friends.
Carers are often considered experts by experience because they have real insight into their loved one and their needs.
Through collaborating with carers, we can learn a lot of valuable information that can support our assessments, care plans and discharge plans – ultimately leading to the best possible outcomes for our service users and patients.
For more information on how we support carers and families please click here
The Community Engagement and Experience Team work in partnership with patients, families, carers, local communities and teams to ensure the community voice is at the heart of all we do. You can find out more here.
Contact the team: hiowh.
Consultations give you the chance to help shape the way we provide our services in the future.
What is a public consultation?
All NHS Trusts have a statutory duty to make arrangements for engaging and involving patients and the public in the planning and delivery of services, and in the development of proposals to change services.
Whenever we plan on making changes to our services, you'll be invited to give your ideas and feedback.
Where change is considered substantial we have an additional duty to formally consult with Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s (HOSC). Engagement, involvement and consultation are all formal processes designed to ensure your voice is heard and taken into account wherever possible.
Listening to your opinions about the care we provide is important to us, as it helps us shape our healthcare services to meet your needs.
What happens after feedback is given?
Once all feedback has been collected, your comments will then be reviewed, alongside those of others, and where ever possible taken fully into account. When decisions have been agreed, we will do our very best to ensure everyone is updated and told of the changes, and as different ways of providing a service are put into place, we will review and monitor them to make sure they are still meeting your needs.
How long do consultations last?
If formal consultation is required there is a recognised period of 12 weeks. However, sometimes if earlier engagement and involvement can show that the majority of people are in favourof the change and if it is supported by other key people, it is not always necessary to consult formally or a shortened period of consultation can be agreed with the HOSC.
How to get involved
We will always aim to advertise the fact we are looking at proposals to change services and we do this by talking to you face to face, talking to your carers, producing leaflets and other advertising methods. All these ways of bringing your attention to our proposals includes telling you how you can get involved.
In most cases you can get involved by asking for a one to one meeting, asking for us to come to a group or meeting you've already planned, responding via our website, attending meetings in public that we will arrange, emailing us or telephoning us.
Our Experience, Involvement and Partnership Strategy details our commitment to working together with service users, patients, families and carers so they have a say in their care and treatment, and helping us to understand how services can be improved.
As a Trust, we are committed to working together in partnership with the people we serve to ensure the services we provide are of high quality and are delivered in a comfortable, caring, compassionate and safe environment.
In this strategy you’ll find out what we, as a Trust, want to achieve and how we will do so via a set of clear and common sense objectives. These have been shaped by feedback from the people who use our services, their families, our governors and staff to ensure our approach to engagement is inclusive, collaborative, organised, positive and proactive.
Becoming a member means you can have a much greater say in your local healthcare. Your voice counts.
Why become a member?
We're always striving to improve and as a member, you can help us do this. We want to hear your experience of our services. We want to know how you think we should invest our money, and where we should develop services further.
We want to know when things go well, and when they don't, so we can address issues and problems quickly. In order for our services to meet the needs of local people and communities, we need to know what you expect and want.
You can be involved as little or as much as you'd like, and in a variety of different ways. You may just want to receive updates about what the Trust is doing, you may want to come along to local meetings and focus groups, or take part in surveys and questionnaires.
Being a member won't affect the care and treatment you receive. You also don't have to agree with everything our Trust does, or share our views.
To find out more about becoming a member, please visit our Membership pages.
Update August 2025:
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
At this time, we are temporarily pausing volunteer recruitment as we work to update our onboarding process. We expect recruitment to resume later this year.
If you would like us to keep your details on file, and contact you as soon as opportunities reopen, please email us at hiowh.
We value your enthusiasm to support our cause, and we hope to welcome you as a volunteer in the near future.
Volunteering is an activity that involves spending unpaid time doing something that is beneficial to others. Volunteering is also a great way to meet people, make friends, learn skills, gain confidence and, most importantly, the chance to make a direct difference to people's lives. It can also open up a world of educational and employment opportunities within the NHS.
Volunteer with us
Volunteers make a unique and valuable contribution to patients, carers, visitors and staff within Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Our volunteers offer their gift of time and knowledge to help us enhance the experience of our patients, the experience and wellbeing of our staff, and add value to the services provided within the Trust supporting us in achieving our mission, vision and Trust objectives.
We have a number of different roles to choose from, there really is something for everyone.
How do I apply?
You can apply for a volunteering role by completing a short application form alternatively you can email hiowh.
Who can volunteer?
There is no upper limit to volunteering. All volunteers must be aged 16 years or over, although for some roles the minimum age is increased to 18 years or over.
How much time will I need to give?
Each role is different however we do ask that you can give us at least x3 hours a week over a 6 month period.
Will I be trained within my role?
Yes, we have a full induction and training process. You will receive a thorough induction to your specific role so that you are confident in what we are asking you to do.
Will I be insured?
Yes, volunteers at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare have the same cover as paid staff, as long as they are carrying out the duties in their role description and a risk assessment for that role has been carried out.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact us today to find out how you can make a difference to the lives of our patients and the community.
It is important to us that you have an opportunity to give feedback and share your views on the care you receive. Sharing your experiences helps us to shape and improve our services across the Trust and provide the best possible patient care.
Whether your feedback is positive or negative, we would like to know.
Comments
If you have any suggestions about how we can improve our services, we would really like to hear from you. Please contact us at su.feedback@southernhealth.nhs.uk or click here
Concerns
Any concerns that you have are often best dealt with when they arise. We would encourage you to explain your problem to a member of staff in the first instance. In many cases, it should be possible to sort out the problem straight away by talking to the person you have already been dealing with, or perhaps their manager.
However, as a service user, patient, relative or carer, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for free, confidential, and timely help or advice. The Concerns and Complaints team can help you to resolve any concerns that you may have about the care and treatment provided, at an early stage. You can call us (9-5pm Mon-Fri) on 023 8231 1200 or email complaints
Compliments
As a Trust, we appreciate how important feedback is and just as we like to know when things go wrong, it is also helpful to know when we are doing things well.
This not only helps boost staff morale and motivation, but also allows us to identify which areas are doing better than others. We can then try to replicate that practice across other areas of the Trust.
If you are pleased with the service you have received, we ask you to either let the staff know directly, to contact us or click here to leave a compliment
Contact us
Sterne 7, Tatchbury Mount
Calmore, SO40 2RZ
Email: hiowh.