Qualitative health needs assessment of a former mining community

This paper reports on a health needs assessment that set out to elicit the perceived and expressed health and wellbeing needs of the residents of a former mining village in Kent. Data was principally collected from residents, professionals and stakeholders through focus groups and interviews. Open days enabled key themes to emerge and provided verification of the research findings. A wide range of services and improvements that would have an impact on wellbeing were identified, requiring a multi-agency approach to delivery, but primary health care services were regarded as the priority. The outcome of the study has been a commitment from the primary care trust to provide a part-time nurse practitioner/prescriber in the village and to employ a community centre manager to support health promotion activities and thereby address the concerns raised by the residents and stakeholders.