The challenges facing Portsmouth residents

Healthwatch Portsmouth undertook research into the experiences and unmet needs of people living in deprived areas of Portsmouth with regard to access to health services, education, housing, good quality employment, support networks and social arrangements. For this, they carried out one-to-one conversations with 18 people and held one event with six attendees.

Conversations were undertaken with people living in postcodes PO1-PO6, and with those who work with people living in these areas. 

Challenges were identified in all areas: 

● Access to healthcare: accessing primary care and specialist services was difficult for Portsmouth residents, mental health services were often inaccessible and did not provide appropriate, ongoing care; dental care was not accessible for many.

● Access to support networks: Portsmouth has a strong community spirit and support groups, community centres and the like are valued. However, public transport limits access and local politicians are considered to provide little support.

● Access to housing: there is a lack of appropriate social housing and insufficient information about housing options. Not all housing offers suitable living conditions.

● Access to education: parents need to be both willing and able to get their children to school. For older children, there is insufficient information about the transition from school to college, and, for those with learning disabilities, there are safety concerns at this stage. There are financial implications for those wishing to ensure their children have education-related opportunities.

● Access to employment: there is a lack of understanding of additional needs by employers, with participants facing discrimination in the workplace. Local transport availability does not support access to employment. Parents of young children, those with additional needs or people facing health problems experience challenges accessing suitable employment, but are keen to work.

A further additional area, of access to health and education for children with special educational needs or disabilities, was identified. The limited health services available were considered to be disconnected, and people were passed from one service to another. The lack of mental health support affected the ability of young people to engage with education, and there was inconsistent support provided by schools.

As a follow-up to these findings, Healthwatch Portsmouth and the University of Portsmouth hope to organise focus groups with interested communities in the city, to discuss how solutions suggested in this report could be achieved and to identify next steps.