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Bristol Hospitals Eye Single 24-Hour ER
1 Jul
Summary
- A single 24-hour emergency department in Bristol is a future possibility.
- Bristol NHS Foundation Trust merged two trusts, creating a large organization.
- Care may shift from hospitals to community services, reinvesting £37m.
Bristol may see its emergency departments consolidated into a single 24-hour facility within the next ten years, a possibility raised by Maria Kane, the head of the newly formed Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT). This potential shift follows the merger of two major NHS trusts, establishing BFT as a significant entity with 28,000 staff and a £2.6 billion budget.
Currently, Bristol has three emergency departments, with Weston General Hospital operating with limited hours. Kane emphasized that patient safety and clinical guidance would lead any decisions. The trust is exploring moving services to fewer sites while also expanding urgent care availability outside hospitals and considering transportation access.
The merger aims to streamline 44 duplicated services and improve staff conditions. A key long-term goal is to eliminate the 'postcode lottery' in care, ensuring more equitable services across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
Furthermore, BFT plans to shift £37 million from hospitals to community-based care over five years, supporting neighborhood health and primary care initiatives. This includes expanding outpatient services outside hospitals, aiming for 70% to be delivered remotely by 2035, and leveraging new technology like tele-dermatology to reduce hospital referrals.
The trust is also positioning itself as a national leader in research, being the largest recipient of National Institute for Health and Care Research funding with £3 million. Decisions regarding the location of services are anticipated within the next 12 months, focusing on long-term sustainability and potentially reducing the need for multiple emergency departments.
