Partners in health

[Cllr Karen Walker (left) and Cllr Gavin Heathcote (right) meet Simon Milner (centre) at Sulis Hospital, Peasedown St John, where they were given a tour of the health facility’s state-of-the-art provision.]

Peasedown St John councillors have paid a visit to the village’s local hospital to thank them for their exceptional services to the local community.

Independent Councillors Karen Walker and Gavin Heathcote spent an afternoon at Sulis Hospital at the Bath Business Park to find out more about what the health facility does, the services it provides, and how it has worked with the NHS to reduce waiting lists.

The hospital welcomes over 400 patients each day and employs around 500 staff – many of whom live locally.

Karen and Gavin said: “Sulis Hospital has been an important part of our community for many years, so we’re pleased to have been able to meet Director Simon Milner to find out more about how the centre has been not only providing state-of-the-art medical care, but working closely with the NHS too.

Last year we carried out Peasedown St John’s biggest ever Residents’ Survey, where local people overwhelmingly told us that access to local, high-quality healthcare was their number one priority.”

Over the last two-and-a-half years, Sulis Hospital has taken an incredible 20,000 people off the NHS’s waiting lists, drastically reducing the pressures felt by neighbouring hospitals like the RUH in Bath.

As well as being an NHS partner, Sulis Hospital is also investing money in local NHS services and provision. It’s currently on track to contribute £ 1 million to the National Health Service.

Anyone who is an NHS patient in England has the right to choose where they receive their hospital care. This includes the option to have treatment at Sulis Hospital.

Simon Milner is the Director at Sulis Hospital. He commented:

“It was great to welcome to Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Gavin Heathcote last week. We were able to discuss a wide range of issues from local healthcare provision to how the hospital can build stronger links with the local community.

We’re grateful for having them visit and am encouraged to hear that people living in Peasedown St John rate local healthcare provision, such as ours here at Sulis, as one of the most important issues to them.”

Sulis Hospital is the first independent hospital in the UK to be wholly owned by an NHS Trust – the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath. Operating as a dedicated elective (planned) treatment centre, they provide high-quality care that benefits patients and the wider local health system.