In South East England, Portsmouth is a compact, coastal city with strong maritime heritage, Whilst the population of circa 210,000 has a lower than average age, areas of high deprivation (59th most deprived local authority out of 217) means healthy life expectancy is on average 15 years shorter than the national average. 

Through its Health and Care Partnership and Provider Partnership, the Health and Wellbeing Board set out its vision for integrated neighbourhood working in 2024: 

To improve outcomes for residents by putting people at the centre of our decisions and providing relevant and effective local services that wrap around the needs of the community. 

As a unitary authority, Portsmouth City Council works closely with health partners, VCSE organisations and education institutions, building on a well-established culture of partnership. The city currently operates five Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). 

Portsmouth’s NNHIP programme focuses on three key aims: strengthening the evolving provider partnership through the creation of a community collaborative; developing VCSE-led community wellbeing hubs to better reach underserved groups; and continuing Primary Care Network-level work on frailty and cardiovascular disease prevention. 

Early successes include the establishment of two further VCSE-led wellbeing hubs in Portsea and Paulsgrove, ongoing progress in CVD prevention, and the starting to develop a broader community collaborative model to further integrate services and improve outcomes for local people.