Healthcare in the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area is largely provided by the National Health Service (NHS). Until July 2022, this was provided through the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire clinical commissioning group. Facilities include a large teaching hospital – Bristol Royal Infirmary – which offers nationally commissioned specialist cardiac, cancer and children's services from its city-centre campus to patients in the southwest of England and beyond.
History
From 1947 to 1974, NHS services in Bristol were managed by the South-Western Regional Hospital Board. In 1974 the boards were abolished and replaced by Regional Health Authorities, with Bristol coming under the South Western RHA. Regions were reorganised in 1996 and Bristol came under the South and West (Wessex and South Western) Regional Health Authority. Bristol from 1974 was under Avon Area Health Authority divided into three district health authorities: Bristol and Weston, Southmead and Frenchay. This continued until 1993 when the three authorities were combined into Avon DHA, and area health authorities were abolished. Two primary care trusts (PCT) were established covering the whole county in 2002, Bristol North PCT and Bristol South and West PCT. They were merged to form Bristol PCT in 2006. The PCTs were managed by the South West strategic health authority from 2002 until 2013, when services were transferred to the new Bristol clinical commissioning group (CCG).
During the COVID-19 pandemic a temporary 300-bed NHS COVID-19 critical care hospital, one of seven NHS Nightingale Hospitals in England, was built at the Exhibition and Conference Centre of the University of the West of England. It would be ready for use from 25 April, but would only be used if needed during the peak of the outbreak.
Commissioning
Bristol CCG took on the responsibilities of the former PCT on 1 April 2013. In August 2017, it announced plans to merge with the CCGs in North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. They started sharing a chief executive in February 2017. The three CCGs merged in April 2018 to form the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG which was abolished in 2022.
In September 2015, a survey by the Health Service Journal showed that 34 of 188 CCGs who responded to the survey had restricted access to some services. Restrictions were usually introduced by a number of CCGs acting together across an area. Gloucestershire and Bristol CCGs were proposing restricted access to acupuncture, adenoidectomy and post-operative physiotherapy.
Sustainability and transformation plans
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire formed a sustainability and transformation plan area in March 2016, with Robert Woolley, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, as its leader.
The area faces a projected 2020/21 deficit of £305.5million. The plan is to reduce the number of acute beds in the area by 30%. The commissioner deficit for 2017-18 was £90M, one of the largest, proportionally, in England. Bristol City Council refused to support plans to cut £305M from the Bristol area's NHS funding at its meeting in January 2017.
In 2018, Julia Ross was appointed joint STP lead, alongside Robert Woolley. She said in April 2018 that they were setting up six "locality provider groups" across the region to join up services for a defined population. This will start with GP and community services, probably in Weston.
NHS trusts and hospitals
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust manages hospitals in the centre and south of the city, and at Weston-super-Mare. Bristol Royal Infirmary (has Accident & emergency, A&E) Bristol Heart Institute Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre South Bristol Community Hospital Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (has A&E) St. Michael's Hospital Bristol Eye Hospital (has A&E daytime every day, eye only) University of Bristol Dental Hospital Central Health Clinic (clinics relating to sexual health and breast screening) North Bristol NHS Trust manages hospitals in the north of Bristol and in South Gloucestershire. Southmead Hospital (has A&E) Cossham Memorial Hospital Frenchay Hospital Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust manages mental health services in the city. Blackberry Hill Hospital Callington Road Hospital Petherton Resource Centre Brookland Hall