University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust


The University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust is a National Health Service foundation trust in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, England. The trust runs Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol Eye Hospital, South Bristol Community Hospital, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, St Michael's Hospital, University of Bristol Dental Hospital and, since 1 April 2020, Weston General Hospital.

Performance

In March 2017, The Care Quality Commission rated the trust as 'Outstanding' and praised it for its strong culture of safety. It was the first NHS trust in England to jump from 'Requires Improvement' to 'Outstanding' between two inspections. The CQC's chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, hailed this as a "tremendous achievement".
The trust did well in the 2014 cancer patient experience survey and agreed to pair with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which did badly, in a scheme intended to "spread and accelerate innovative practice via peer-to-peer support and learning". In September 2016, the trust was selected by NHS England as one of twelve Global Digital Exemplars.

Children's heart surgery

The care of children receiving complex cardiac surgical services at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995 was the subject of a public enquiry chaired by Professor Ian Kennedy, which resulted from whistle-blowing by Dr Stephen Bolsin.

Reconfiguration

The trust agreed in 2011 that breast and urology services would pass to North Bristol during 2012, while in 2013–14 children's services, paediatric burns and neurosciences would transfer from North Bristol to the Trust.
In January 2018, it was announced that the trust was to merge with Weston Area Health NHS Trust, which runs the district general hospital in Weston-super-Mare, southwest of Bristol.
This was formally completed on 1 April 2020.

Wales

The trust decided in February 2014 that it would stop undertaking all "non-specialised, elective activity" for Welsh local health boards, unless covered by an existing contract, because of continuing payment issues.