Centralisation of Head & Neck, Breast Care and Urology services from March 25 2013
These changes relate to:
- Breast care (excluding breast screening)
- Ear Nose and Throat services (ENT)
- Head and Neck Cancer;
- Oral maxillo-facial surgery (OMFS)
- Orthodontic outpatient services
- Urology services
- Audiology Services
The way in which a number of services are delivered across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire is changing from the end of March 2013.
Head and Neck, Ear, Nose and Throat , Oral & Maxillofacial and Orthodontic services
These will be provided and managed by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. All planned surgery will take place at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and St. Michael’s Hospital. Ear, Nose and Throat outpatient appointments will be offered at a range of location including Southmead, St Michael’s Hospitals, Nailsea and Clevedon community settings. Oral & Maxillo-facial surgery outpatient appointments will be offered at Frenchay and Bristol Dental Hospitals and Lydney, with Orthodontic outpatient services being provided from Frenchay and Bristol Dental Hospital.
Audiology services will continue to be provided from Southmead, Frenchay, Cossham and St. Michael’s Hospitals.
Breast Care Services
These will be provided and managed by North Bristol NHS Trust. All planned surgery and associated outpatient appointments will take place at Southmead Hospital. All oncology appointments will be at the Bristol Oncology Centre. The breast screening service will not change, although it is planned for this service to also be transferred to North Bristol NHS Trust in spring 2014.
Urology Services
These will be provided and managed by North Bristol NHS Trust. All planned complex surgery will take place at Southmead Hospital. Simple day case operations will take place at both Southmead Hospital and South Bristol Community Hospital. Outpatient appointments will be offered at Southmead, Cossham and Thornbury Hospitals, Portishead, Bristol Royal Infirmary, South Bristol Community Hospital, and Clevedon Hospital.
Dr Chris Burton and Dr Sean O’Kelly, Medical Directors at North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, respectively, said: “These changes are designed to significantly improve clinical outcomes for patients and to create the conditions for centres of excellence to develop and grow in Bristol, which is good for healthcare in the long term in our region.
"The development of these service changes has been led from the start by our senior doctors and nurses, and has involved patients, carers and the wider public in their design.”
Patients with existing appointments
For those patients with appointments coming up, we will be writing to you separately to explain what the changes could mean to you, and where and when your next appointment will be. We will also be giving your GP information so that they are clear on how to refer you and under whose care you reside.
As the changes bring together the current clinical teams at Southmead and Frenchay, together with those from the Bristol Royal Infirmary, St Michael’s Hospital and the Dental Hospital, in most cases your care will remain under your existing consultant team, although you may be seen in a different location. As part of the change, we will also be moving the relevant parts of your medical records to ensure that we provide continuity of care and, following patient feedback, are taking the opportunity to improve the way in which we deliver services, by reducing unnecessary waste or duplication and investing the savings in better healthcare.
For further information about the project to centralise these clinical services please visit Healthy Futures.
If you have any further questions, please email the relevant address below:
breastservicetransfer@nbt.nhs.uk