Homeward Unit launches at Bath hospital to help patients return home
Patients who are almost ready to go home from hospital, but who require a period of recuperation to help them better prepare, are being offered a stay in a Homeward Unit at St Martin’s Hospital in Bath. The 16-bed facility will allow patients to get better through a range of therapeutic interventions including help with…
How to make a complaint about GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacies
From Saturday 1 July, the way in which complaints about local primary care services are made will change. After this date, people wishing to make a complaint about the care received from a GP practice, dental surgery, opticians or pharmacy must contact either the South West regional complaints team or the healthcare provider directly. The…
We’ll be busy, but open, says local NHS ahead of latest industrial action
Ahead of the latest planned strike by junior doctors, the NHS in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire is asking people to still come forward for urgent and emergency care and to attend planned appointments unless told otherwise. Junior doctors at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, the Great Western Hospital in Swindon…
Local NHS sees influx of respiratory-related conditions due to hot weather
Leading doctors from the NHS in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are warning people to stay safe in the sun, following a weekend that saw many unprepared for the hot weather. On Sunday 11 June, when local temperatures peaked in the mid-to-high 20s, more than 130 people attended the emergency department at…
Last chance for unvaccinated people to get protected against Covid-19
People in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire who have yet to have any form of protection against Covid-19 only have until the end of this month to get vaccinated. After Friday 30 June, first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, which are needed to build an initial immunity to the virus,…
New approach to hospital discharge helps 500 patients recover at home
A bold new initiative at Swindon’s Great Western Hospital has helped more than 500 people who no longer require care on a ward to safely continue their recovery at home. HomeFirst, which had an initial launch last summer, aims to get patients quickly back on their feet by putting appropriate support measures in place to…
Final May bank holiday brings renewed call for public to support local NHS
Residents of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are being asked to support their local NHS once again ahead of the third May bank holiday weekend. Many non-urgent health and care services, such as GP practices and pharmacies, will close at the end of the day on Friday 26 May, and not reopen…
Patients living in Bath and North East Somerset to benefit from Virtual Wards service
People living in Bath and North East Somerset will soon be able to receive acute clinical care from the comfort of their own homes while helping to relieve pressures on local services. NHS@Home Virtual Wards is a joint initiative provided across Bath and North East Somerset, by HCRG Care Group, the Royal United Hospital and…
Local RAF reservist to represent region’s NHS at Coronation of King Charles III
The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be watched by millions, but one lucky member of staff from Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board will be at the event in person. Dee Runciman is set to accompany the newly-crowned King and Queen to and from Westminster Abbey…
Fresh strikes and additional bank holidays signal another busy period for NHS
Health leaders in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are warning of another busy period for the NHS as the coming month sees fresh industrial action and more bank holiday weekends. Local people are once again being asked to show their support to the health service by preparing well and choosing the right…