Part 1 (scroll down for part 2)
This report shares what people have said about the challenges they face in the city. It comes from a research project between the University of Portsmouth and Healthwatch Portsmouth, which also provided the funding. We asked people about their experiences with healthcare, education, housing, good jobs, support networks, and social life.
Read the report:
Throughout 2023, we invited Portsmouth residents to share their experiences and unmet needs with a university researcher collecting feedback for us. We also asked for their ideas on how to solve the problems they faced. This report includes those ideas, along with recommendations from conversations with 18 individuals and a group of 6 people who help residents in deprived areas access services.
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We talked to people living in deprived areas of Portsmouth, including Central Portsmouth, Buckland, Port and Mile End Industrial Estate, Paulsgate, and Paulsgrove. The report includes many direct quotes from residents about the problems they face and what changes are needed. In 2024, we invited Portsmouth residents to share their thoughts with Healthwatch Portsmouth on how the suggested solutions in the report can be put into action.
You can read the summary:
Alternative formats are now available to read:
Easier to read summary
Easy read
Part 2
In August and September 2024, Healthwatch Portsmouth created a plan to gather feedback from residents on how the solutions in the first part of the research report could be put into action. To start these conversations, we used the following materials:
Health Inequalities project Part 2 conversation starter document
Graphic showing topics for conversation starters
What we found out from Portsmouth residents in 2024
We presented our findings to the Portsmouth Health and Wellbeing Board Development Session in early November 2024
We shared the findings with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Partnership Joint Committee in January 2025. Our research was well received and will help shape future decisions on improving access to housing, jobs, and non-digital information across the region.
In February 2025, efforts began in Portsmouth to use our findings, along with input from local partners, to create plans for supporting struggling communities. By March, work had started on targeted support for these communities. More updates on this will be shared throughout the year.
For enquiries about the report please contact by email: info@healthwatchportsmouth.co.uk   or phone: 023 9354 1510