1. Weston hospital faces £8m shortfall

    News -

    Bosses of Weston Area Health NHS Trust (WAHT), like at all UK hospitals, have had to make millions of pounds worth efficiency savings each year and will require additional financial support from the Department of Health to cover the shortfall.

  2. Weston Hospital shortlisted for an award

    News -

    The birthing centre at Weston General Hospital has been shortlisted for a public health award by the Royal College of Midwives.

  3. Norovirus at Clevedon Hospital

    News -

    Clevedon Hospital is asking people to only come to the inpatient wards at Clevedon Community Hospital if absolutely necessary.

  4. Bristol hospital grant

    News -

    The Department of Health grants University Hospitals Bristol hospitals £50,000 to fund additional volunteer support

  5. Intensive Care at Bristol Royal Infirmiry

    News -

    State of the art intensive care unit opens at Bristol Royal Infirmary

  6. Demand at Weston General Hospital

    News -

    There is ongoing demand on services at Weston General Hospital with people being asked to think before coming to the hospital. The hospital remains very busy and they are asking people to only attend if absolutely necessary and a medical emergency.

  7. High demand at Weston Hospital

    News -

    This weekend the health service has experienced unprecedented demand for its services across its emergency departments and its urgent care systems.

  8. Bristol Royal Infirmary struggling

    News -

    Now the number of patients being seen and treated in under four hours at Bristol Royal Infirmary’s A&E has fallen to 83 per cent. The hospital’s previous average was around 92 to 93 per cent.

  9. Norovirus at WestonHospital

    News -

    Weston General Hospital is suffering under the effects of Norovirus, and two wards remain shut because an outbreak was discovered last week.

  10. Weston Hospital acquisition

    News -

    Following their recent board meeting, the NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA) has approved the next stage of Weston Area Health NHS Trust’s acquisition.

  11. Passport to help vulnerable cope with hospital visits

    News -

    Carers who assist people with learning disabilities are asked to help make sure their ‘Healthcare Passports’ are up-to-date for any hospital visits during the health pandemic.

  12. Volunteers' Week - thank you John!

    Blog -

    Thanks John, your work means patients' voices are heard by key decision makers at local hospitals.

  13. Volunteers' Week - thanks Tim

    Blog -

    Thank you to our volunteer and Director Tim who is keen to raise the profile of Healthwatch wherever he goes. He loves going to hospital meetings and has attended a lot over the last eight years - with the most recent streaming on YouTube!

  14. Weston Hospital now fully reopened

    News -

    Weston Hospital has now fully reopened and patients who have an appointment scheduled from today onwards should just attend at their allocated time. The A&E service is also now operational again from 8am to 10pm.

  15. Open letter shows progress in reopening health services ahead of winter

    News -

    An open letter outlining plans to get services back to their pre-pandemic levels but still ensure everyone’s safety has been released.

  16. Historic turning point - Covid vaccines rolled out to first patients at Southmead Hospital

    News -

    The new Covid-19 vaccine has been rolled out in Bristol today (December 8) – with the over 80s and care home staff first on the list to receive it.

  17. Healthier Together recognised for collaborative working

    News -

    The Healthier Together Partnership has been officially recognised as an Integrated Care System as a group of 10 organisations working collaboratively to improve health and care across Bristol, North Somerset and South Glos.

  18. Weston Hospital open to outpatients - attend appointments and A&E as normal

    News -

    Patients should attend outpatient appointments at Weston Hospital as normal despite a rise in Covid-19 admissions. The A & E department is also open but people are advised to call NHS 111 first if it is not a life-threatening emergency.

  19. Action plan needed to address staff levels and patient care at Weston Hospital

    News -

    Shortages of staff at Weston Hospital could mean patients do not get the right care or treatment, a new report has found.

  20. Improving stroke services in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

    News -

    Stroke services in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire could be set to change as part of a public consultation on proposed improvements.

  21. Next steps for stroke services to be decided

    News -

    Sit in on the decision-making process and hear the results of the Clinical Commissioning Group's recent consultation on how to improve stroke services and save lives in the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire area.

  22. Medical care at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston rated 'good' by CQC - but concerns raised over patient safety

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission's inspection of Weston General Hospital in June left the independent regulator 'significantly concerned about the safe care and treatment of patients receiving medical care'.

  23. Mental health services for children, young people, and older people must improve, says independent regulator

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission has published its latest report on community mental health services for children and young people, and hospital wards for older adults, provided by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

  24. Have your say: attending Southmead Hospital A&E department

    News -

    Staff at Southmead Hospital need your feedback to find how patient care at their A&E department can be improved. If you've attended A&E as a walk-in during November or December 2021, you can help by filling in our anonymous survey.

  25. Recommendations to improve local stroke services agreed by NHS commissioners

    News -

    The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said the changes will mean fewer people die or experience long-term disability following a stroke. Services are expected to be fully in place from November 2022.

  26. Local NHS renews campaign to encourage people with non-life-threatening medical conditions to call 111 first

    News -

    The NHS in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire is encouraging people to contact NHS 111 for help with urgent but not life-threatening medical needs, rather than going straight to local A&E departments.

  27. Report: experiences of attending Southmead A&E during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Report -

    North Bristol NHS Trust asked us to carry out a survey with people attending A&E at Southmead Hospital. We found that the management of people's long-term conditions in the community needs to improve, to reduce some of the pressure on A&E.

  28. NHS survey seeks views on next steps to further improve services at Weston General Hospital

    News -

    The NHS in Weston-super-Mare, Worle and surrounding areas is asking local people to respond to a survey about its vision and ambition to secure Weston General Hospital as a thriving hospital at the heart of the community.

  29. Provider of NHS 111 services in North Somerset rated 'Outstanding' by independent regulator

    News -

    Practice Plus Group - NHS 111 South West, who have a contact centre in Bristol and answer NHS 111 calls from people across the South West, were found to be safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led by the Care Quality Commission.

  30. "This is another scandal where it’s clear that lessons from past tragedies haven’t been learnt" - Healthwatch England's response to the Ockenden review

    News -

    Healthwatch England has responded to the Independent Review of Maternity Services at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, led by Donna Ockenden. The review examined almost 1,600 clinical incidents and found repeated failures in care.

  31. Get involved in turning the plans for Weston General Hospital into action

    News -

    Doctors, nurses and other health professionals have worked with the public and staff to draw up plans for the future of Weston General Hospital. The public have the opportunity to share their feedback at a range of public engagement events.

  32. Weston General Hospital rating moves up from 'inadequate' to 'requires improvement'

    News -

    The hospital was rated 'inadequate' in June 2021 by the Care Quality Commission, after the independent regulator of health and social care in England raised concerns over patient safety.

  33. 'The barriers to accessing timely care can put people’s lives at risk' - Healthwatch England's response to the Care Quality Commission's 'State of Care' report

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Their latest report sets out the challenges the NHS and social care sector face: 'the health and care system is gridlocked, unable to operate effectively.'

  34. Experiences of being in hospital for people with a learning disability and autistic people

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission says people with a learning disability and autistic people "continue to face barriers when accessing health care and treatment" after collecting people’s experiences from 8 hospital trusts in England.

  35. Hundreds more people to benefit from NHS care in the comfort of their own homes this winter

    News -

    The NHS@Home service offers hospital-level care and remote monitoring in an individual’s home, providing an alternative to hospital admission, or helping them to return home promptly following an inpatient stay.

  36. Next steps in enhancing urgent care at Weston General Hospital

    News -

    Local NHS leaders are focusing on helping people get home quicker after accidents and emergencies, with special units planned to assess and treat people more quickly so that they can return home sooner working closely with teams in the community.

  37. Long stay and rehabilitation mental health wards rated 'good' by independent regulator

    News -

    Three of the four wards for working age adults managed by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust were inspected by the Care Quality Commission in January 2023.

  38. Safety concerns raised after inspection of acute psychiatric wards and psychiatric intensive care units

    News -

    Sexual safety incidents on mixed wards and environmental risks were among the issues identified by the Care Quality Commission, independent regulator for health and social care services in England.

  39. 'One patient was waiting over 9 hours to be collected' - Care Quality Commission raises concerns over waiting times for community transport provider E-Zec Medical Transport Services Ltd

    News -

    The independent regulator for health and social care services in England undertook an inspection of E-Zec Medical Transport Services Ltd in January 2023.

  40. Annual Report 2022/2023

    Report -

    Last year, 793 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us. Our annual report sets out how your comments and concerns have had a real impact on local health and social care services.

  41. The infopool: information for people affected by prostate cancer

    Advice and Information -

    The infopool is a new website offering simple, clear information about prostate cancer. It will help you understand the different tests and treatments available, and includes information on clinical trials you may be suitable for.

  42. Influencing better planned and emergency care

    Response -

    When plans were drawn up to bring about the next stage of the development of Weston General Hospital, we were asked to facilitate the inclusion of local views and experiences to ensure any changes would benefit people of all ages and levels of need.

  43. British Sign Language first aid resources now available from St John Ambulance

    Advice and Information -

    St John Ambulance has set up the CPR Community Network to ensure that everyone has access to basic life support training in person, online or by using their Resource Hub to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency.

  44. E-Zec Medical Transport re-inspected by regulator following warning notice

    News -

    In the latest inspection, carried out in July 2023, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) focused on the areas highlighted in the warning notice issued in January. The service remains rated as 'requires improvement'.

  45. Our statement following the conviction of Lucy Letby

    News -

    Lucy Letby was found guilty on the 21st August 2023 of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016, while working as a nurse. She was also convicted of trying to kill six other infants.

  46. A third of people in England lack confidence they can access critical NHS services

    News -

    Healthwatch England has warned that people need more confidence that the NHS can provide timely care as the winter period approaches. A third of adults in England lack confidence that they can access timely care, including GP services, mental health support and hospital care.

  47. How would you describe an outstanding experience of care?

    News -

    What would your top priority be in a new 'Experience of Care' strategy? These are two of the questions University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) are asking you to share your views on as they set out to co-design their new strategy.

  48. Mental health trust told to improve its secure mental health and forensic inpatient wards

    News -

    The Care Quality Commission found Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust must improve in a number of areas, including monitoring the conduct of temporary staff, and considering the level of noise and the impact on patients.

  49. How can NHS@Home support you this winter?

    Advice and Information -

    NHS@Home offers healthcare in your home or normal place of residence, rather than in hospital. It can offer an alternative to going into hospital when you are unwell, and it can help you return home from hospital more quickly.