Isle of Wight Ambulance Service rated Good by the CQC

The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service has been rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), recognising significant improvements in the quality of care provided to the Island community. 

Inspectors visited in February 2026 to assess the service's emergency operations centre, patient transport service, and urgent and emergency care service. All three services were rated Good, with the emergency operations centre and patient transport service improving from their previous ratings of Requires Improvement. 

The CQC praised the service's extensive partnership working with neighbouring ambulance trusts, ferry operators, HM Coastguard, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, fire and rescue services, and acute hospital teams. Inspectors found this collaborative approach helps ensure Island residents can access specialist care and treatment in a timely way both on the Island and on the mainland, if needed. 

The report also highlighted the delivery of safe, patient-centred care, with staff consistently treating patients with dignity, respect and compassion. Improvements in ambulance response times were recognised, with the average response time for Category 1 emergency calls reducing from ten minutes in November 2025 to eight minutes. 

Inspectors also commended staff for their commitment to continuous learning, innovation and improvement, noting a culture where teams actively learn from incidents and seek new ways to enhance patient care. 

Victoria White, Director of Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, said, "I am incredibly proud that the hard work and dedication of our teams has been recognised by the CQC. We have made substantial progress over recent years to ensure patients receive safe, compassionate and patient-centred care, and I know the positive feedback our staff and volunteers received during this inspection will mean a great deal to them. 

“We also recognise that improvement is an ongoing journey and will continue listening to our teams, acting on feedback wherever we can. This includes working closely with our partners across community, ambulance and hospital services to drive further improvement and deliver innovative solutions that benefit our patients. 

"It is a privilege to lead and work alongside so many fantastic colleagues. I would like to thank all our staff, volunteers and partners for their commitment and everything they do for our patients and communities." 

Penny Emerit, Chief Executive, Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said, “I would like to share how proud we are of our ambulance service and the compassionate care they provide to our island communities. Their dedication to innovation and putting patients at the heart of everything they do continues to improve the way care is delivered. Having a locally based ambulance service that is fully integrated with our acute hospital is a unique strength, helping us provide responsive, coordinated and high-quality care. 

"Everyone involved in achieving these improved ratings should be incredibly proud of their contribution." 

Steve Thomas, Chief Nursing Officer at Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said, "We welcome the CQC's findings and its recognition of the strong culture of continuous learning within our ambulance service. The CQC recognised substantial improvements across our services, with stronger leadership, safer care and better outcomes for patients.  

“We are determined to build on this progress and continue delivering the highest standards of care for the communities we serve.”