Download and read the full “Portland Community Conversations” report

#PortlandTogether

In February 2023, Portland’s community came together with members from Dorset’s integrated care partnership (ICP) which is made up of the NHS, councils and groups from the community and voluntary sector. The event, which focused on resident’s most significant health-based challenges, ended with a commitment from the ICP to continue the conversation and work towards improving services for local people.

We (the ICP) want to build a better relationship with local communities on Portland. We’re committed to understanding what it’s like to live on the island, and to be informed by local people about what they really need through the #PortlandTogether project.

You can learn more about how the project came about on the Help and Kindness website.

The Help and Kindness website also has a full list of insight and evidence reports for the #PortlandTogether project.

Anna, interviewer and interviewee:

“Having real conversations with real people about their day-to-day life was such a pleasure – as both an interviewer and an interviewee, I can concur with those that said it felt like therapy! Saying things out loud is a great way to gather and make sense of your own thoughts whilst also gifting insights from your life to others – insights that could help shape services of the future.”

Community Conversations Portland

We wanted to complement existing insight gained through the #PortlandTogether project by having open and honest conversations about what people’s lives on Portland are really like. Staff from across Dorset’s ICP, trained in helping people tell their stories, had in-depth ‘open conversations’ with Portland residents. Each conversation lasted about an hour and covered a variety of topics.

The conversations allowed participants to share their unique perspectives and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of their lives and use of local services. These conversations encouraged openness, where individuals felt comfortable expressing their thoughts and emotions fully. This allowed us to gain an understanding of experiences that went beyond the question of ‘how many participants’ typically associated with tick-box questionnaires. By focusing on quality rather than quantity, these conversations offer important individual context that other forms of view-seeking might overlook.

To make sure we really heard what people had to say, the conversations were recorded and transcribed by a professional transcription service. The transcripts were then used to produce a report on what we’ve heard, and any themes that ran through the conversations. This report will feed into the wider Together Portland project and help to shape the work we do with people on Portland moving forwards.

Our interviewers also made a summary, in their own words, of what was discussed with the people they spoke to. Each person received a copy of their summary to check they were happy with what had been written, and to make sure it captured their most important points.

What we heard

Throughout the conversations we identified common themes that highlighted both the positives and challenges of living on Portland. These included:

  • Community spirit

  • Love of the local environment

  • Love of the outdoors

  • Support of local voluntary and community groups

  • Levels of deprivation

  • Lack of service provision (for example access to GP and other health services)

  • Travel and transport concerns

Download and read the full “Portland Community Conversations” report

Summaries

The summaries shared here are just a handful of the incredible stories we heard from Portland residents. These stories have been shared here with permission from the people they are about. All of the conversations we heard have fed into the final report and will help to shape the work of the #PortlandTogether project.

Portland event – 1 December

On 1 December 2023, members of the #PortlandTogether project hosted a community event at the Masonic Hall on Portland. The event was advertised beforehand in the Free Portland News, a physical paper which is dropped through the door of every household on Portland.

Stalls were held by representatives from Dorset Council, the NHS and local community groups, including Island Community Action, The Sanctuary and Help and Kindness.

The Community Conversations team also attended to let people know what we’d heard so far, and for them to add their views.

We collected an additional 74 comments, thoughts, and ideas from local people on our ‘cloud wall’. This feedback reflects things that that we heard in the community conversations

  1. Why don’t Portland Port sponsor a ward in Portland Hospital?
  2. When trying to book covid booster online, only shows Poole and Yeovil despite there being boosters in Portland Hospital
  3. GP surgeries are becoming inaccessible, it’s difficult to get through without going through the care navigators . We should not have to go through this process, especially if you are really unwell
  4. Portland needs a building that can be used as a day centre and also a space within it for ante-natal classes. There are non on Portland. I had ante-natal classes here 49 years ago, now nothing.
  5. No NHS dental care. Can’t even get on a waiting list.
  6. A new Health Centre in Victoria Square – on the bus route – replace gatehouse put in pharmacy. Part of joint up with Hosp. Services and Royal Manor Health (GP practice)
  7. No transition between child services and adults
  8. Acute hospital discharge premature resulting in re-admission
  9. Access to NHS dentist on the island
  10. Please re-open minor injuries, – Weymouth is two bus rides away. No fun when you are in agony.
  11. We need more communication between pharmacy and patient. Portland Port surely could put some money into hospital
  12. Want – somewhere on Portland where people can die with dignity
  13. We need our hospital back for respite care and recovery post operative treatment from DCH
  14. Agree – community hospital desperately needed for minor injury and palliative care
  15. I have lived on Portland for 54 years at Underhill, the number of shops that have been lost is quite frightening. Unless investment is put into Underhill, it will soon be derelict, it is the most deprived area in Dorset. Levelling up is a pointless service. When  will we get few shops?
  16. Areas like Portland with marked health problems – should have focused on preventative care
  17. Is the waste incinerator an extra threat to good health on Portland? Can’t be good!
  18. Agree Portland needs: a) Minor injuries/immediate care on island b) beds in community hospital and residential home for older people to die on the island
  19. Agree Portland needs: a) improve communication between GPs and pharmacy b) better mental health support for young people locally
  20. Paediatric appointments to be on Portland
  21. No NHS dental care – criminal and very short sighted, a real concern for children future health
  22. Need a pharmacy on Underhill
  23. Resources! Need to fund things appropriately + look at things on more micro level. What do people (not just numbers) need.
  24. More GPs needed, dental provision needed, opticians needed, pharmacy needed, minor injury unit needed
  25. Need to encourage kids + parents to walk to school + not park on zig zag lines rather than walking a few yards
  26. More statutory support to third sector organisations. Aids social mobility, connection and provide jobs. We work miracles!
  27. NHS Why! Why is Boots in Underhill closing down?? I wonder could it be that the script payment has been reduced by NHS?
  28. Maybe Boots cannot survive in Underhill with a reduced payment! Do we have to queue all around Easton Sq for the chemist there?????
  29. Children Health Services: such as OT and Physio to be held on Portland to help keep children who have regular hospital appt. in school as they miss so many days by attending appointments.
  30. Doctors are scarce on the island. Practice nurses are brilliant. The potential loss of Boots at Fortuneswell will have a massive impact. Not having a walk-in facility for small injuries/ailments of the hospital have been missed. Infrastructure for all-round care is so important.
  31. Portland Hospital needs re-opening for step-down care and definitely for minor injuries!!!
  32. We could be so ahead of the game if we got to use our hospital fully. It could be a real centre of health & wellbeing – with prevention as key as cure. The wards would be vital for that gap between the medical wards at DCH and hope fully returning home
  33. Day care centre – needs opening up & not sitting empty. Let the community use it + run it if DC/NHS cannot
  34. The minor injury unit and x-ray provided an essential resource for an island that can be cut off from the mainland. With the increasing population the hospital should provide community beds, day care, consultations, MIU, x-ray and a permanent ambulance HUB.
  35. Type 2 Diabetes care is adequate but often Weymouth is the venue for information sessions (infrequent). Portland Hospital is an obvious, but ignored, centre.
  36. Please Please Can we have MIU at Portland Hospital
  37. I am a 75yr old recently widowed. I have nothing but praise for our volunteer services on the island but our GP surgery is very stretched and groaning under the strain. While we have a very under-utilised hospital.
  38. Better adult social care
  39. GPs don’t refer to Portland Sexual Health walk-in but suggest Weymouth
  40. Could we have a pharmacy at the GP surgery or even Tesco on Portland?
  41. One of two island pharmacies closing – what is being done?
  42. It would be very helpful if we had more clinics at Portland Hospital to save the travelling – a lots of local people don’t have cars. If the MIU came back to Portland Hospital, that would be good too (and reduce the workload for Weymouth). Not to mention bringing back the beds! Close of the pharmacy in Fortuneswell is a disaster.
  43. Would be great if the island had an x-ray + Minor Injury Unit. Hospital would be a bonus too!
  44. Bring our community beds back and save the NHS a fortune
  45. Please can we have our Day Centre back? A lifeline for carers and the lonely
  46. Let’s prescribe walks + swimming + community allotments. Btw, we need land to grow community. There is plenty at the hospital ground.
  47. Mental Health support for all ages is so stretched it is woeful
  48. Take the medical staff of the barge and put them in Portland Hospital. Better for all.
  49. Luck of access to face to face primary care consultations
  50. We need Boots to stay in Fortunesswell otherwise people will have to get a bus for their prescription + Boots at Easton won’t be able to cope. Doctors to open on Saturday mornings so people who work can get to a doctor.
  51. Make carers count. Carers get a pretty raw deal from all the services.
  52. Look after carers!
  53. The sanctuary on Portland is helping to support Mental Health Wellbeing but we need your help – please!
  54. There must be a pharmacy in Underhill. Vital service.
  55. Open Portland Hospital beds to rehab to prevent people being discharged too early to be returned to hospital straight away!
  56. A MIU or equivalent to deal with on the day health problems
  57. Paediatrics outpatient services on the island
  58. No mental health support
  59. Access to services – transport. Knowledge of services/need people to be aware of things that do exist/more communication
  60. Wating time for hospital appointments to be made shorter. 2 years for ENT appt. is too long!
  61. A plan for more preventative treatment + support groups to deliver this on Portland
  62. Luck of places to die on the island, especially for the least well off. No accessible ‘on the day’ medical support which can nip problems in the bud and prevent re-admissions.
  63. Better access to GP on Portland, also out of area referrals to major hospitals or London hospitals.
  64. I am 78 years old living alone and very independent. I have had 4 admissions to DCH for Cardiac Care and angiogram. I need 24h company when discharged but have no one. Why can’t we have a bed in Portland Hospital for this? Not long term but just care. Open Portland wards please!
  65. Island Community Action to get proper funding as old and vulnerable people rely on it to enable them to live in their own home, shopping, befriending, prescriptions etc.
  66. Due to distance between Portland and Dorchester Hospital, I was unable to get staples removed after an ankle operation. My leg has swelled in transit due to a long period of no elevation which wasn’t possible in the vehicle I used. This illustrates a need for facilities closer to the island /better communication between existing facilities for simple procedures.
  67. GP practice on Portland is too small for the amount of residents now, before new houses. Doctors need to see patients face to face, no triage as illness being missed. Workers appointments not book 8 weeks in advance. We deserve a service that works and to feel valued.
  68. The local voluntary sector can do so much for very little – please help us to help others & to help you.
  69. Free exercise classes for low income families + the elderly
  70. We can tell you the problems but don’t just rely on us to find solutions when this community + its services are already stretched.
  71. Access to info in different forms – not just written
  72. Portland Port, Portland Stone, all big businesses on the island to sponsor charities on the island and give something back!
  73. We need counselling that helps, 8 weeks is not enough & you have to wait 12 weeks for it to start.
  74. A modern HUB incorporating an elderly care facility (care home/nursing home/affordable day care) attached frailty team + physio. Lastly incorporated Minor Injuries and Chemist. Sell off land at Portland Hospital + land below East Weares and build modern HUB incorporating all the above.