Being an anchor in our Community is one of our key Trust objectives. This in an important part of our Trust strategy, launched in February 2023 with our overall aim of delivering outstanding patient experience. An overview of the strategy can be found on the Trust Strategy page. 

We take pride in being an ‘Anchor in our Community’ and the Commitment to our Community improvement priority focuses on how we can reduce inequalities, improve health outcomes and how we can make sure that our staff are truly representative of the communities that we serve in and around Bristol. 

We have recently launched our Commitment to Our Community Plan which aims to:

• Focus on increasing the number of people employed at NBT from our local communities, particularly supporting people from an ethnic minority background and those from socio-economically disadvantaged areas in and around Bristol.
• Address recruitment disparities for candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds where the data tells us that people are less likely to be appointed from shortlisting.

What do we plan to do?

• Work with our local schools, colleges, councils, and community areas to provide mentoring and skills support for local residents into employment, apprenticeship, and career opportunities at NBT.
• Provide a range of support to help people become work ready and improve their employability skills.
• Review our current recruitment processes to make sure that they are accessible and equitable and introduce more targeted recruitment and selection interventions that reduce the disparity that exists.
• Work with a range of disadvantaged groups to support them into employment, apprenticeship, and career opportunities at NBT.

What can you do?

Explore our career opportunities on the Careers page, we have a wide range of roles to suit your interest and work in an environment that gives you the chance to make a difference every single day. 

If you would like to find out more about the Commitment to Our Community Plan and what support is available to you, please contact our careers inbox for any inquiries: careers@nbt.nhs.uk

Ongoing Commitment

This plan is just one part of our Commitment to Our Community to support and engage with our local areas. Stay tuned for more initiatives and updates as we continue to build a stronger, more inclusive community together.

Together, we can make a real difference.

An Exhibition within the atrium of the Brunel, showcasing our staff in the work environment. Photos were captured Kian Swainston and Carla Mabb, UWE Bristol Photography students.

HLA Typing, Serum Screening and Renal Crossmatching
Full HLA types are determined for both recipients of organ transplants and potential organ donors. The laboratory offers comprehensive serum screening of potential transplant recipients for HLA antibodies.  The results, together with information on HLA sensitisation events such as blood transfusion, pregnancies and previous transplants, aid in selecting patients for transplant. Finally donor organs are crossmatched against recipient serum to confirm compatibility prior to transplant.

HLA Typing for Drug Hypersensitivities
Screening for HLA-B*57:01 which is associated with hypersensitivity to the drug abacavir, used in HIV treatment, is offered by the laboratory.

HLA Typing for Disease Associations 
Some HLA types have specific disease associations, the most common are given below. Whilst the laboratory is able to offer screening  for these HLA types, it is  important to remember that these are associated with, but not diagnostic for, the disease in question.

GMC number: 1449543

Year & location of first qualification: 1970 Sheffield University

Specialty: Urology

Clinical interests: These included the assessment and management of Female and Male Lower urinary tract conditions and diseases such as urinary incontinence and prostatic obstruction.

Administrator: Karen Evely Bristol Urological Institute

Secretary phone number: 0117 414 7942

Extensive research record with, over 700 publications and more than 62,000 citations of papers of which I am an author and an “h” number of 104. Currently involved in research and teaching as well as health improvement programmes for NHS England (Chair of Bladder Working Group) and Bladder and Bowel Confidence (Associate Director) the Bristol Health Partners Health Integration Team

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Life or honorary member of the major urological organisations worldwide.

GMC number: 7090116

Year & location of first qualification: 2010, UCL Medical School

Specialty: Respiratory

Clinical interests: Airways disease (asthma and COPD), inducible laryngeal obstruction, cough, breathlessness.

Secretary: Lata Luchmun

Dr Higbee graduated from UCL medical school and has been based in the Southwest since then. He completed a PhD at Southmead Hospital and the University of Bristol examining whether having reduced lung function and chronic lung disease causes disease in other organs. He set up the service testing for inducible laryngeal obstruction using continuous laryngoscopy with exercise and provocation. He is a member of the subspecialist airways team that prescribes biologics for those with severe asthma and evaluates endobronchial valve therapy for those with severe emphysema. He is the clinical lead for pulmonary rehabilitation (known locally as the Lung Exercise and Education Programme).
 

GMC number: 6156511

Year & location of first qualification: 2007, University of Bristol

Specialty: Plastic Surgery

Clinical interests: Skin cancer

Secretary: Emily Thatcher

Secretary phone number: 0117414 7608

Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

GMC number: 7021014

Year & location of first qualification: 2008

Specialty: Trauma & Orthopaedics

Clinical interests: General Trauma and Knee Surgery

Secretary: Julia Hirst and Vicki Morrissey-Stocks (Elective) Nicki Leigh (Trauma)

Secretary phone number: 0117 4141624/0117 4141627

Miss Nicola Blucher completed her pre-clinical Undergraduate Medical training at The University of Oxford and clinical Undergraduate Medical training at The Royal Free and University College London. Her specialist orthopaedic training was complete in the North West Thames Deanery, London.

Miss Blucher has completed fellowship training in Knee surgery in Melbourne, Auckland and Bristol. She also spent 6 months completing a Trauma fellowship at Waikato Hospital in New Zealand.

Her elective practice focuses on Knee surgery including sports injuries of the knee, patella instability and the management of early and advanced osteoarthritis including joint replacements.

Miss Nicola Blucher is a member of the British Orthopaedic Association, British Association for Surgery of the Knee, British Patellofemoral Society and British Orthopaedic Sports Trauma and Arthroscopy Association.

GMC number: 7177272

Year & location of first qualification: Imperial College London 2011

Specialty: Respiratory Medicine 

Clinical interests: General Respiratory Medicine, Lung Cancer, Pleural Disease and EBUS

Secretary: Louise Brennan

Secretary phone number: 0117 414 2016

Email: Respiratoryadmin@nbt.nhs.uk
 

Dr Helen McDill has been a Consultant in Thoracic Medicine at Southmead Hospital since 2022, having completed her registrar training in the South West and gained CCT in respiratory and general medicine in 2022.
She has a clinical interest in pleural disease, lung cancer and EBUS having undertaken an intervention fellowship in Plymouth.  She has co-authored a number of publications in these areas. 
Dr McDill is a member of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and currently on the BTS Tobacco dependency guideline group and the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) having previously been a respiratory trainee on the Steering Committee.
 

GMC Number: 6076782

Year & location of qualification: London, 2003

Specialty: Urology

Clinical Interests: Benign andrology & penile cancer

Secretary: Becky Champness

Professional memberships: BAUS, ESSM, EAU