Healthier Together July Newsletter

 

School's out for summer: Families urged to stay well and get the right NHS help

As schools break up and warm weather is set to continue over the summer months, parents and carers across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are being encouraged to take simple steps to keep their families healthy and know where to go if they need NHS care.

With children spending more time outdoors during the school holidays, the NHS is encouraging parents and carers to be prepared for common summer health issues such as sunburn, insect bites, minor injuries, hay fever, tummy bugs and dehydration.

If you or a family member becomes unwell over the summer holidays, there are a range of NHS services available to help including community pharmacies, NHS 111 and minor injury units and urgent treatment centres, which offer treatment for children aged 12 months and above. A&E and 999 should only be used for life-threatening emergencies.

More advice on staying healthy during the summer holidays, self-care and local NHS services is available on the NHS Summer Stay Well web page.

Historic milestone as two Trusts move to become single organisation

North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust have merged to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT), creating one of the biggest health trusts in the country with 28,000 members of staff and a £2.6 billion annual turnover.  

The new organisation has been formed to give people across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire better access to seamless, high quality, equitable and sustainable health care.

Read more about the merger on the BFT website. 

Improving services 

New Research Hub opens in Clevedon 

A new Research Hub has opened at Clevedon Medical Centre, supported by a £67,000 grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The new facility, which was officially opened by MP Sadik Al-Hassan (pictured left), will help make primary care research more accessible to local people, giving patients more opportunities to take part in studies that improve treatments, services and health outcomes.  

Involving you 

Nominations for the Patient Choice Award are now open 

Patients, carers, relatives and members of the public are invited to submit nominations for the Patient Choice Award as part of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust's (BFT) Staff Awards.

This award recognises a BFT member of staff who has made a real difference to someone’s experience of care through kindness, compassion, respect, communication and excellence. 

Find out more about the Patient Choice Award on the BFT website.

Participants needed for study to better understand type 1 diabetes burnout

Are you living with type 1 diabetes and have experienced diabetes burnout?

If so, researchers from the universities of Bristol and Cardiff Metropolitan want to hear from you for a study to learn more about diabetes burnout from people living with type 1 diabetes.

Image credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Find out more about the diabetes burnout project on the Bristol University website. 

 Integrated Care System news 

GP practice staff praised as patient survey results are published

Results from this year’s national GP Patient Survey show high overall levels of patient satisfaction (78%) with Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire GP practices – above the national (England) average of 77%.

Figures also show that 88% of patients had positive experiences of community pharmacy services, and 68% of patients felt similarly about NHS dental services.

The annual survey assesses patients’ experiences of healthcare services provided by GP practices. 

Read more about the GP Patient Survey results on the Healthier Together website.

Streamlining urgent mental health support for children and young people 

Changes to the way children and young people access urgent advice and support during a mental health crisis were introduced on July 1 across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.

The Integrated Access Partnership (IAP) has become the single ‘front door’ for mental health crisis calls via NHS 111. Anyone calling NHS 111 and choosing mental health (option 2) will be directed to Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership’s (AWP) specialist service. Calls will be answered by dedicated call handlers, with callers receiving a prompt call back from a mental health practitioner for triage and assessment.

These changes will bring significant improvements to the way mental health urgent advice and crisis support services are provided across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Read more about the IAP on the AWP website.

Local NHS staff celebrate NHS 78th birthday at Downing Street

NHS staff from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire attended a special reception at 10 Downing Street to celebrate the NHS’s 78th birthday. 

The reception, held on Monday 6 July, brought together NHS staff from across England to celebrate 78 years since the NHS was founded in 1948, recognising the dedication and achievements of those who have gone above and beyond to deliver outstanding care for patients and support their colleagues and communities. 

Read more about the NHS birthday celebrations on the Healthier Together website.

One Care publishes its Annual Review 

One Care, the general practice federation for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, has published its 2025-26 Annual Review.

The report highlights how One Care has supported its members in the past year and also demonstrates how the organisation adds value to the wider healthcare system. 

Read more about the Annual Review on the One Care website.

Integrated Care System partners top research funding leaderboard 

Partners within the Healthier Together Integrated System have topped a national leaderboard for research funding.

Research Capability Funding (RCF) is awarded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to research active NHS organisations. Funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the UK Government’s research arm.

More than £5 million in RCF has been awarded across the BNSSG area in the 2026/27 funding allocation. This is more than 10% of the total RCF awards in England.

Read more about research funding on the Healthier Together website.

 Local health and care jobs

Here is a selection of vacancies in the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area. For a full list of opportunities, please see the NHS Jobs website.

Looking for a job in social care? A variety of roles are available on the websites of North Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council.

Dates for your diary

Free Health Walks
At various locations across North Somerset

 
General NewsSupport Remote Digitalhealthier together