Portsmouth health research project to receive £5m cash injection
A trio of Portsmouth civic bodies have successfully won funding for a project to improve the health of the city's population.
A joint bid by Portsmouth City Council, HIVE Portsmouth and the University of Portsmouth has secured a £5m investment that will enable more research aimed at tackling health inequalities and improving health outcomes for residents.
The funding is awarded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the research partner of the NHS, public health and social care.
It is due to be received from January 2025 for five years following the successful completion of a development year from January 2024.
The funding will establish NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Portsmouth.
The partnership will combine local government, community sector and academic expertise to develop and deliver local research that can support decision-making in the city.
The research generated will focus on housing, education, air quality and access to green spaces.
Cllr Matthew Winnington, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Health and Care at Portsmouth City Council, said: “We welcome this opportunity to develop a research partnership which will help us to address the root causes that lead to poorer health in Portsmouth.
“What’s key will be listening to residents who are experiencing challenges; we want to learn, share with our communities what we've learnt and then we can use the knowledge to make a difference.”
Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) aim to tackle health inequalities and improve health outcomes in local areas across the UK.
Portsmouth is one of 6 local authorities who will receive the funding from 1 January 2025, providing agreed criteria are met during the development year. There are currently 13 successful HDRCs already established with 11 new HDRCs going 'live' from January 2024.
