Get involved in turning the plans for Weston General Hospital into action
On top of routine, ongoing service development at the hospital, there is a particular focus on three areas. The hospital will:
- become a centre of surgical excellence, providing thousands more planned operations for adults of all ages;
- become a centre of excellence for older people’s care, with more specialised care for older people, as well as a wide range of services for people of all ages; and
- help more people go home quickly after going to hospital in an emergency, with a dedicated unit for assessing and treating people quickly.
The hospital will continue to provide A&E services from 8am to 10pm, as it has done for the last five years, and other services such as maternity care, children’s services, cancer care, intensive care and emergency surgery will continue to be provided, and improved, for people of all ages.
More than 5,000 patients, public and members of staff helped to shape these plans and we’re now asking for people’s help in turning them into a reality.
There are currently two events planned where you can hear how the work is progressing and share your feedback.
Thursday 30 June, 2022, 1-3pm. The Pier, Marine Parade, Weston-super-Mare. This is a face-to-face event.
Monday 18 July, 2022, 6-8pm. This is an online (Zoom) event.
Click here to find out more and register for an event.
You can also fill out an online survey - click here.
Enhancements to planned (‘elective’) operations are a key part of the plans. The hospital will become a centre for surgical excellence, meaning that more adults of any age can have a planned operation at the hospital, closer to home. It’s estimated that between 20 and 114 more procedures could be carried out each day, the equivalent of thousands of extra operations per year.
The hospital will also offer more specialist care for older, frail people who are less likely to bounce back after being unwell. Specialised clinics and wards will mean older people who are frail will get even better care from hospital frailty experts, working closely with local GPs and community services.
The third area of changes will see a range of measures introduced to help people get home more quickly after accidents or emergencies. The hospital will have a special unit for assessing and treating patients quickly and thousands of people of all ages will be able to go home quicker because they will get emergency care on the same day, rather than being admitted for a spell in hospital.
The majority of people who arrive at Weston General Hospital in an emergency will still receive all their care at the hospital. A small number who require ongoing, specialist medical inpatient treatment for conditions such as heart, lung or stomach problems, will be transferred to a neighbouring hospital with specialist staff and equipment – leading to shorter hospital stays as well as improved outcomes for these patients.
Click here to visit the Healthier Together website for a summary of the plans.
