Changes in Bristol could affect you ....

28.10.04

11 November, 2.00 - 3.00pm
Civic Centre, Wotton-under-Edge

LOCAL people in Wotton-under-Edge are being asked what they think about major proposals to transform health services in South Gloucestershire, Bristol and North Somerset.

Health trusts in Bristol have launched a public consultation on proposed changes to hospital services, which may affect some residents living in the south of Gloucestershire who use Bristol hospital services.

Members of the public are being invited to drop in to a public event about the proposed changes on Thursday 11 November between 2.00 - 3.00pm

The plans include offering a network of at least seven community hospitals or centres throughout the area together with a proposal to combine some specialist hospital services to ensure they are improved.

Plans are already going ahead to build a new hospital in South Bristol that will open in 2008, and to move the services provided by the Bristol Royal Infirmary into modern purpose-built facilities.

The public is being asked to consult on the following proposals:

The future of Frenchay and Southmead Hospitals: both of these will be used as community hospitals, but health trusts in Bristol believe that only one can remain as a main hospital site offering a wider range of services.

Children's services: the proposal is to bring together care for very sick children who need high technology in-patient treatment or surgery by teams of specialists working together. Within six years the very specialist services from Southmead Hospital and Frenchay Hospital will move to the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Older people's services: the plans aim to provide rehabilitation beds for older people recovering from illnesses or surgery in centres throughout the area.
There is general agreement from the public that older people have the right to live at home if they possibly can. Hospitals are not places where people should live for any length of time. People are often isolated from their friends, become disorientated and are less able to return to their homes.

Ear, Nose and Throat treatment: the NHS wants to bring together adult inpatient ENT services and provide them at Frenchay Hospital, where there are links with other services. Inpatient ENT children's services could be moved to the Children's Hospital, where staff are specially trained to treat children, in line with wider plans for children's services. Outpatients will remain at their current locations across the area.

There are also proposals to bring all the general surgery and emergency care together at Frenchay with planned in-patient cases being treated at Southmead.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the consultation can call Freefone 0800 015 5127 or visit www.avon.nhs.uk/bhsp.