ABOUT US
Assurance
on Emergency Departments in Bristol
Welcome
NHS Bristol is responsible for local NHS health services in Bristol, UK, taking over from the previous Bristol South and West and Bristol North PCTs. We cover a population of around 400,000 and have a budget of over £600 million. Services include GP practices, pharmacies, dentists, opticians, a range of community nursing and therapy services are supplied by Bristol Community Health. We also refund the NHS hospitals when you are treated in them. More about NHS Bristol.
Swine
Flu vaccination for under 5s
An announcement from the chief medical officer about the decision to
vaccinate children over six months and under five years was made on 19
November. The exact details are being finalised as to how the vaccine will
be delivered, although it is likely to be via your GP.
Vaccination of at risk groups is well under way here in Bristol and the focus remains on getting these people vaccinated first. Vaccination of the under fives will not begin until this has been completed. We then expect the under 5s vaccination to start in late December.
Swine flu and pregnancy leaflet
See our ten top tips for staying healthy this winter
Swine Flu information line 0800 151 3513
‘Stroke - what can
I do?’
Thursday
29 October was World Stroke Day 2009. Please help NHS Bristol get the
‘FAST’ stroke awareness message out by displaying posters wherever you
can and using our screensaver.
They can be downloaded from www.bristol.nhs.uk/public health/stroke
The FAST message is:
- Facial weakness - can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
- Arm weakness - can the person raise both arms?
- Speech problems - can the person speak clearly and understand you?
- Time to call 999.
Better
services, better care and better value
The Care Quality Commission’s Performance Ratings released on 15 October
for NHS Bristol for 2008 - 2009 showed that patients in Bristol are
receiving better services, better care and better value for money.
Formerly known as the ‘Annual Healthcheck’, NHS Bristol was rated “good” for their use of resources and “good” for quality of services – a dramatic improvement on last year. NHS Bristol also fully met all its core standards (43 standards ranging from infection control to safeguarding children).
For a full breakdown of how NHS Bristol performed this year, results will be published shortly on the Care Quality Commission website at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/ or see our news.
Rethink your drink
UK Alcohol Awareness Week runs from 19 to 24 October and NHS Bristol are
encouraging the people of Bristol to ‘rethink their drink’. We want people
to take stock of their units and keep a drink diary for the week. To get
hold of a drink diary and some information on how to calculate your units
click here.
NHS Bristol launches 2008 – 2009 Annual Report
NHS Bristol is proud to launch the 2008 – 2009 Annual Report entitled
‘Changing and Improving Lives’.
Focussing on some of the ways NHS Bristol has improved the healthcare and
wellbeing for its public, it is a reflection of its successes and
challenges for the future.
The annual report is available in an easy to navigate PDF:
2008 – 2009 Annual Report
(PDF 4mb)
To find out how NHS Bristol have changed and improved lives, download our
‘Changing and improving lives’ leaflet
(25kb).
Changing
and Improving Lives
NHS change guru Helen Bevan came to Bristol in September 2009 to share her thoughts on improving services. Watch the video to find out what she thinks and how NHS Bristol managers found the day.
The Emerson's Green NHS Treatment Centre is now open to treat local NHS patients
The centre will provide joint replacements, minor orthopaedic surgery,
ophthalmology, general surgery, ear, nose and throat procedures,
gynaecology, endoscopy, urology, diagnostics.
Patients will have the choice of having their routine planned treatment at
local NHS hospitals or at the NHS treatment centre. For more information
please look online:
www.uk-sh.co.uk/treatment-centres/emersons-green-nhs-treatment-centre
How
to cope with the stress of losing your job
NHS Bristol has produced a
leaflet with helpful advice on dealing with the impact of unemployment
and how to maintain your wellbeing if facing unemployment.
It also offers guidance on where to go for services that may be able to help you and your family.
Video:
New Heights - recovery after a stroke
Staying physically healthy through regular exercise and a balanced diet is one
of the most effective ways to look after your mental health and wellbeing.
Lafrance had a stroke in 2001 aged just 41. It nearly killed him. Some doctors
doubted he would ever walk again. And yet despite the agonies of physical
rehabilitation and the depression that so many stroke survivors experience,
Lafrance has overcome.
watch the video
Delivering same
sex accommodation in Bristol
NHS Bristol is committed to eliminating the
distress caused by sharing accommodation with the opposite sex when in
hospital. New standards for same sex accommodation
have been set by the Department of Health and a national fund was set up to
enable works to achieve the standards by the end of June 2009. The two main
local providers in Bristol have received in the region of £933,000 from the
Privacy and Dignity Challenge Fund (University Hospitals Bristol received
£357,483 and North Bristol NHS Trust £575,290) and are compliant with
the Department of Health standards on delivering Same Sex Accommodation as
endorsed by NHS Bristol chief executive. Both hospitals have been carrying
out works such as providing new bathrooms to ensure patients do not share
washing facilities with others from the opposite sex.
More
Are
you looking for an NHS dentist?
To find your nearest available NHS dentist, call your
local NHS Dental Helpline
0845 120 6680
Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm
Are you in dental pain
and not currently seeing an NHS dentist?
Clean your hands campaign
The PCT has signed up to the National Patient Safety Agency’s (NPSA)
"cleanyourhands" initiative to extend the award winning NHS funded campaign
from hospitals to ‘community settings’, such as health centres, clinics and
GP practices.
Organisational
Development
NHS Bristol has recently published its
Organisational Development Plan which summarises our learning since the
creation of Bristol PCT in October 2006 and sets out a series of action
plans developed as a result of this learning.
Listening to you – how you can give us your comments, suggestions or make a complaint.
Please give any site feedback to julia.rowley@bristolpct.nhs.uk