Bristol Community Health is a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering NHS community healthcare services. It has just announced changes to three local health services.

Healthcare in five South West prisons, Bristol children’s services, and diabetic eye screening in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire will no longer be run by Bristol Community Health, and will be transferred from the social enterprise to new providers.

The services had been contracted to Bristol Community Health either by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) or NHS England.

These NHS services currently operate as:

Offender Healthcare

• Across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire (run as the InspireBetterHealth partnership).
• Commissioned by NHS England.
• The five prisons are HMP Ashfield, HMP Bristol, HMP Eastwood Park, HMP Erlestoke, and HMP Leyhill.
• Partner organisations in the programme include Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Day Lewis Pharmacy, and Sirona care & health CIC. Treatment can range from eating disorder services to learning disability assessments.

Children’s Community Healthcare services

• Across Bristol and South Gloucestershire (run in partnership with Sirona care & health CIC).
• Commissioned jointly by Local Authorities in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, and BNSSG CCG.
• Partner organisations in the programme include Barnardo’s, Off the Record, and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
• Services range from community paediatrics to substance misuse in young people.

Diabetic Eye Screening Programme

• Across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
• Commissioned by NHS England.
• This involves a photography eye screening once a year for diabetic patients aged 12 and over, to check for diabetic retinopathy – a treatable condition if caught in time.
• Screenings take place in GP surgeries, health centres and hospitals.

Jo Makinson, CEO of Bristol Community Health, said:

“Patients and other stakeholders should see no material change to the services they receive. We have not yet agreed the exact timescales for the transfers of contracts and staff, but are absolutely committed to continue to deliver safe and quality services together with patients, service-users and our valued partners as long as we continue to hold these contracts.”

Bristol Community Health announced the decision was made whilst following its Making Bristol Better strategy, consulting commissioners, and considering the best interests of patients and communities.

The transfer of these services comes as a new 10-year adult community health services contract with BNSSG CCG – to start in April 2020 - was recently awarded to Sirona care and health CIC.

Click here to read the statement in full from Bristol Community Health.