A complex and changing system
As a key partner in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight health and care system, Hampshire Hospitals serves people across Mid and North Hampshire and beyond. The system is one of the largest and most complex in the country, with unequal access to services, clear gaps in life expectancy, variation in service quality and resilience, and some people stay in hospital longer than they need to.
Growing and changing population needs
Demand is rising faster than our hospitals and services can currently meet, driven by population growth, longer life expectancy and increasingly complex healthcare needs. By 2031, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to rise by 25%, and those aged 85 and over by 35%, increasing demand for emergency care, frailty support, long-term condition management and planned treatment. Health and wellbeing inequalities persist across the communities we serve.
Changing how care is delivered
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan signals a major shift towards more care closer to home, supported by digital tools and a stronger focus on prevention. At the same time, workforce shortages, rising demand and reliance on small specialist teams are making it harder to sustain safe, high-quality care across all our hospital sites. Without changing how services are organised and delivered, some current models of care will become increasingly difficult to maintain and may not provide the consistent, resilient care patients need.
Buildings and infrastructure for future care
Our hospitals and services need buildings that are safe, modern and fit for current and future models of care. We must invest carefully and plan for how future changes in care will shape what we need from our hospitals in the future.
