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Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board have issued the following statement: We are very saddened by the news of the meningitis outbreak in Canterbury and the subsequent deaths, and are monitoring the situation closely along with our partners. The UK Health Security Agency is providing regular updates here. GPs across the country will today be advised to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry between 5 and 7 March and to University of Kent studen

Please find a copy of the HWP Manager's report that was presented at last nights Healthwatch Portsmouth Advisory Board meeting at Spark Community Space. Healthwatch staff and board members at the Advisory Board meeting It was a pleasure to welcome back Professor David Croisdale-Appleby to the Healthwatch Portsmouth Board Meeting. We had a lively discussion with David, and heard a little about the future of the independent patient voice. At our upcoming meeting on 17 June, you

In this report, we captured detailed feedback from 1,534 children and young people (CYP) and 125 parents and carers in Portsmouth. A child sitting on the ground with his head down hugging himself Our study highlights experiences, preferences, and insights into local service improvements. Local feedback echoes national and local data, confirming escalating levels of anxiety, depression and eating disorders in school aged children and young adults. We have summarised data th

Since last December, Portsmouth Community Diagnostic Centre has been offering out-of-hours services, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you don't know what is a Community Diagnostic Centre, Healthwatch Portsmouth is here to help and explain it to you. What is Community Diagnostic Centre Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) have been built to provide tests checks and scans faster and closer to home. They allow a patient to get an MRI, blood test, ultrasound all in a single visit

Healthwatch Portsmouth holds an Advisory Board meeting in public once every quarter. These meetings are aimed to help you h ear the latest updates in the health and social care sector, for you to ask questions, and share your concerns and ideas about what matters most in your community. Your voice helps shape health and care services in Portsmouth. If you don't want to miss these opportunities to make a difference , save the dates below now 👇 17th March 2026, 4pm-6pm - SPAR

Start of every year, we launch a survey called 'What Matters Most to You' for Portsmouth residents (Postcode PO1-PO6) to fill in. Your contribution will help us understand what topics of work you would like Healthwatch Portsmouth to prioritise for the next 12 months. The Survey Please complete the survey What Matters Most to You 2026/27 online here. It should only take you around 2 minutes. You can also go to surveys & polls  to take part or scan the QR code below. Please fe

Parking Updates Some  disabled parking bay (for blue badge holders) by Block E, the Enablement Centre at St Mary’s Community Health Campus in Portsmouth has been temporarily closed, due to the installation of Solar panels. They will take out 3 Accessible car park bays , and there will be signage to notify patients and visitors of no parking. These 3 bays are opposite the RED hatched ambulance area (please see attached map). However, there will be temporary accessible parking

Finding an NHS dentist in Portsmouth can be challenging. Due to high demand and staff shortage, you may find some NHS dentists in Portsmouth are not accepting new NHS patients or have long waiting lists currently. NHS dentist avalability in Portsmouth To save you some time, we have found the current NHS dentist availability in Portsmouth for you, along with the most efficient way to book appointments. Smile Dental Care, Damira Portsmouth, and Dentaid are offering NHS treatme

This winter has been extremely cold and dry, which creates ideal conditions for viruses to survive. Cold weather can also weaken the immune system. This is why more people catch colds and flu in winter. The good news is that the NHS provides a free flu vaccine for people who are more at risk, including those who: are aged 65 or over have certain long-term health conditions are pregnant children aged 2-17, or 6 months+ with weakened immunity live in a care home are a main car

Read the full report here: Summerlee Unit Understanding the Summerlee Unit We visited the Summerlee Unit on 30 September 2025. The Summerlee Unit is an inpatient facility located on the First Floor of Harry Sotnick House in Portsmouth. This unit plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation of patients. The Enter and View Programme Enter and view visits is a Healthwatch programme. It allows trained members of a local Healthwatch team to enter and examine care services in practic

We have successfully held our Advisory Board meeting in public at Cosham Baptist Church on 8 December 2025. It was lovely to meet some of our board members and the new joiners representing the public. Healthwatch Portsmouth Managers' Report Read the Healthwatch Portsmouth Managers' report to find out what we discussed in the meeting. Below are some of the topics we included in this report: Healthwatch structures and governance Local Authority Strategic and Unitary Authority

With Healthwatch Portsmouth and our partners' efforts, two new HIVE Portsmouth Community Helpdesks just opened in early December. In 2023, we gathered residents' feedback during guided conversations, in order to drive the purpose of reducing health inequalities in the city’s areas most affected. Now, we are delighted to see our findings and plans have been put into place, and already there have been lots of people dropping in for free information, advice and guidance. Below

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a public consultation on Portsmouth City Council’s proposals for unitary local government for our area. This consultation provides residents with an opportunity to share their views on the options currently under consideration. Here are the details of the options : https://www.closeenoughtobelocal.co.uk/our-proposal-five-unitary-councils Portsmouth City Council asked to be excluded from the Local Governme

It's National Safeguarding Adults Week: 17 – 21 November 2025. National Safeguarding Adults Week aims to raise awareness of important issues related to the abuse or neglect of adults with care and support needs. This week serves as a reminder of the significance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals in our communities. Understanding Abuse Abuse can take many forms. It's crucial to recognise the different types so we can better protect those in need. Here are the main categor

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is taking out a survey to explore your experiences with the NHS App. They need your help to understand and overcome the barriers that might prevent patients from accessing the app's benefits. Your insights will directly contribute to making digital health services more accessible and user-friendly for everyone. Who is it for? This survey is for Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents who are interested in responding. I

NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight is urging patients to make use of 34,000 newly-available urgent dental appointments across Hampshire if they need them this winter. People who need urgent dental appointments are likely to be in pain, including those suffering from infections or needing urgent repairs to a lost filling or crown. If you believe you need urgent dental care, please call 111 or use 111 online to to check your symptoms and access the right care. They can then dir

Healthwatch Portsmouth Advisory Board meeting in public

Healthwatch Portsmouth received a notice recently from Drayton Surgery about the relocation of Wootton Surgery - we'd like to pass this on to our website visitors. The Wootton Street Surgery will permanently close from Friday 10th October 2025 . From Friday 17th October 2025 , services from Wootton Street Surgery will be provided from: Highclere Medical Centre Northern Road, Cosham, PO6 3EP Drayton Surgery state that the relocation is part of the NHS commitment to enhancing

Healthwatch Portsmouth received information about this opportunity from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust...

info about the new Urgent Primary and Emergency Care Centre