About us
On 1 April 2020, Bristol Health Partners was awarded the prestigious designation of Academic Health Science Centre by NHS England, NHS Improvement and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
We are a strategic collaboration between the city region's universities, major health and care providers and commissioners, covering the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area. These include its three acute and mental health NHS trusts, its clinical commissioning group, two universities and Bristol City Council. Recently Sirona care & health, NHS Blood and Transplant and North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils have all joined the Partnership. These 11 organisations have formed Bristol Health Partners voluntarily, and we are funded by contributions from the partners.
As a membership organisation, we are able to understand and serve the needs of our partners and local population, rather than the agenda of a distant funding body.
The partnership includes commissioning and public health, which is rare among England's health partnerships, giving a broader interpretation of health and its determinants. This broader membership means we do not focus solely on illness, but also address lifelong health and how to prevent illness in the first place.
Take a look at our 2019-20 Plan on a Page (PDF) to find out how we achieve this work.
Five reasons why Bristol Health Partners is different
You can read our AHSC application here.
Our purpose
We exist to improve the health of those who live in and around Bristol and to improve the delivery of the services on which they rely, and to act as a mechanism for change in our health and care community and our city region.
Our vision
Our shared vision is for those who live in the Bristol city region to enjoy the highest possible quality of life and experience of care. We want our area and health and care system to be known for:
- Equality of access, experience and outcome
- Excellence in research
- Promotion of innovation
- Connectedness and collaboration
Our mission
Our mission is to generate significant health gain and improvements in service delivery in the region by integrating, promoting and developing our strengths in health services, research, innovation and education.
Our unique Health Integration Team (HIT) model
Our Health Integration Teams tackle health priorities by working in new ways, harnessing the best research, innovation, care and education to make a difference to people's health. Our HITs must evaluate, involve patients and the public and have a whole system approach. This pioneering approach to research, health service and public health integration can help solve seemingly intractable problems.
Bringing the best people together
As a membership organisation that drives integration, our people are our strongest asset. We bring together leading experts from the Bristol city region and further afield to work together in new ways. Our Board, Executive Group and Health Integration Teams showcase the finest talent the Bristol city region's health and care community has to offer.
Maximising and integrating research and service delivery
Bristol has considerable health research strengths, and we help make the most of them through integrating academia, the health service, public health and commissioning. We apply science to service delivery and improvement, so that change is more effective and likely to succeed. Involving patients and the public is essential to success, and the partnership empowers health professionals to make the most of opportunities to do this.
Location, location, location
We focus on the people of the Bristol city region, which includes Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. We also aim to develop close links with other organisations in our wider region and neighbouring regions. But what works here will very likely work elsewhere: our work and research can and should have national and international impact.
