About us

About us

We are responsible for NHS health services in Bristol.  Our aim is to improve the health of people in Bristol and provide the healthcare they need.

We cover a population of around 420,000 and have a budget of over £700 million. 

We work with patients, carers, local people and clinical experts to plan, fund and monitor:
• hospitals
• GP surgeries
• dental surgeries
• pharmacies
• opticians
• community services (supplied by Bristol Community Health).

NHS Bristol aims to:

• be the most successful Primary Care Trust at improving health
• be the most successful at improving the health of the most disadvantaged
• provide a comprehensive range of health services which deliver world-class outcomes for the local population
• ensure a consistently high-quality patient experience
• provide services locally.

NHS Bristol is a teaching PCT and offers education and training to all our staff.

The government announced their long term plans for the NHS in a White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, in July 2010.  The White Paper outlined comprehensive restructuring across the NHS, including abolishing PCTs, and information is being updated and announced all the time.  As details are confirmed, NHS Bristol will work closely with clinical commissioning groups (who will be responsible for commissioning the majority of health services) so that the people of Bristol continue to receive excellent health services. .

From 1 June 2011, NHS Bristol, NHS North Somerset and NHS South Gloucestershire have formed a primary care trust cluster. Each organisation continues to be a legal body.

The NHS Constitution

The NHS is founded on a common set of principles and values that bind together the communities and people it serves – patients and public – and the staff who work for it.  

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. All NHS bodies and private and third sector providers supplying NHS services are required by law to take account of this Constitution in their decisions and actions.

NHS Values

  • Respect and Dignity
    Commitment to Quality Care
    Compassion
    Improving Lives
    Working Together for Patients
    Everybody Counts.

Principles that Guide the NHS

  • The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
  • Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay
  • The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism
  • NHS services must reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their carers.
  • The NHS works across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of patients, local communities and the wider population.
  • The NHS is committed to providing best value for taxpayers’ money and the most effective, fair and sustainable use of finite resources.
  • The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves.

Read the NHS Constitution [PDF]