Bristol NHS Group

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is part of the Bristol NHS Group, a partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT).

As two major NHS organisations, we have come together as an NHS Group to deliver seamless, high-quality, and equitable care for every person across Bristol, Weston, South Gloucestershire, and the wider South West.

With 28,000 staff and a combined turnover of over £2.2 billion, this partnership gives us the scale, influence and expertise to transform the way healthcare is delivered locally.

Chaired by Ingrid Barker and led by Maria Kane as Group Chief Executive, alongside a single executive team, Bristol NHS Group unites the two Trusts to transform the way healthcare is delivered locally with a clear focus on making a difference for what we call our 'Four Ps'.

• Our patients,
• Our people,
• The populations we serve,
• and the public purse

Bristol NHS Group has set out its priorities in a Summary Benefits Case, to improve healthcare for the communities it serves:

• Deliver outstanding care for everyone who needs it
• Support our people to thrive and excel
• Get the most out of our resources for the communities we serve
• Excel in groundbreaking innovation, research and development
• Work with our partners as one team

Our vision for five years from now:

• Patients will wait less time to be diagnosed and treated, and they will have the same high-quality experience and outcomes, regardless of who they are or where they live.
• We will meet rising demand by maximising the use of our available resources.
• More care will be delivered nearer to patients; in their homes or the community.
• Digital technologies will have transformed the way we work and the way we deliver care.
• Our people will feel engaged, energised and empowered by their work
• We will be known as a place where people enjoy working, training and building a career.
• Our volume of globally renowned research and innovation will have grown significantly.
• We will contribute to system financial balance.

Find out more

You can read more about what Bristol NHS Group will deliver in our Summary Benefits Case.

Future operating model for Bristol NHS Group

As part of our plans to deliver seamless, high-quality, equitable and sustainable care for everyone who needs it, Bristol NHS Group is exploring how NBT and UHBW might become a single, merged organisation in the future.

Exploring the benefits and opportunities of operating as a single organisation, a merger could help to remove some of the legal barriers and complexities that get in the way of delivering our Joint Clinical Strategy, which aims to provide even better care by reducing duplication, investing in frontline services, and strengthening integration across our hospitals and communities.

This is not a final decision, but a thorough process to shape and inform one – with staff, patient and stakeholder engagement at its heart. There are no changes to services at this point apart from our ongoing Group Clinical Services programme (see below for more information). Our focus remains on maintaining stability, improving care for patients, in alignment with the government's plan for health. In particular, the three shifts from: sickness to prevention; hospital to community; analogue to digital.

Joint Clinical Strategy and Group Clinical Services

Our Joint Clinical Strategy (JCS) sets out our vision to deliver seamless, high-quality, equitable and sustainable care for everyone who needs it. Developed by clinicians from across both trusts, it sets out how we will combine our collective strengths to make a bigger difference for our patients, our people, the population we serve, and the public purse (the Four Ps).

Patients should never experience delays, duplication, or confusion because of where they live or which hospital they attend. Through this strategy, we will break down those barriers - ensuring care is consistent, connected and of the highest possible standard, wherever it’s delivered.

What are Group Clinical Services?

To make this happen, we are introducing Group Clinical Services (formerly known as Single Managed Services) - a new way of delivering clinical services across our two trusts. Our vision is for more joined-up, more resilient, and more patient-focused services.

40 services have been identified as future Group Clinical Services and the first five specialities who have come together are:

• Cardiac Services
• Liaison Psychiatry
• Pain
• Safeguarding 
• Trauma and Orthopaedics

Cardiac Services was the first specialty to develop a Group Clinical Service to help meet rising demand and deliver more high-quality, consistent care for its patients. Cardiology care continues to be provided by both trusts across Southmead Hospital, Weston General Hospital and the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI), but is now managed by one leadership team.

Working together as one service across the Group is helping Cardiac Services use its resources together to reduce waiting times and ensure equitable access to treatment. It is also also enhancing patient experience by aligning patient pathways and improving communication for more seamless care.

Working together with local partners

Our series of Partnership Events is one of the ways we're working with our local system and academic partners as well as community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations, to deliver our shared vision for more joined-up, patient centred and equitable services. 

We have held Partnership Events in February and November 2025, bringing together a range of representatives and members of our Community Participation Group (see below) to facilitate meaningful conversations about how we can work together to support our community. 

We will be holding further Partnership Events in the future as we continue to seek feedback from a variety of perspectives and collaborate throughout this process. 

How to get involved

To make sure that our patients and communities have a real voice in the future of their healthcare services locally, we have established a Community Participation Group (CPG). This group provides independent oversight, advice and input on how to involve patients and public in the development of our services.

The CPG aims to be representative of our communities, Patient and Carer Partners and Governors, providing opportunities for new voices to be heard.