What is community healthcare?

Our services are different from the care provided by GPs (primary care) and hospitals (secondary care), because the healthcare we give is provided in the community or in patients’ homes. Our services are designed to:

• Improve patient satisfaction and well being, by caring for people in their comfort of their own surroundings.
• Improve the quality of life of those with long term conditions, by supporting self-care and keeping them independent for as long as possible.
• Ease the burden on primary care (GP practices) and secondary care (hospitals).

Our dedicated staff see patients in their place of residence or in clinics around the city. Most of our patients will have been referred to us by their GP or another healthcare professional. We work closely with other local health partners, for example, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (which runs the Bristol Royal Infirmary), North Bristol NHS Trust (which runs Southmead hospital) and all of the city’s GP practices, to provide a seamless service to patients.

 

What difference does community healthcare make?

Because of the nature of our work, our services make a positive social impact in the city of Bristol, in addition to the direct value of the care that we provide.

For example, many of our patients are older people or have long term conditions. They may find it difficult to leave their homes and this results in isolation and loneliness. Our staff visit regularly to provide healthcare, friendly human contact, care and compassion, as well as introducing patients to sources of support from a wide range of voluntary sector organisations. Our own volunteers work alongside healthcare professionals to provide additional support to patients. These are just a few examples of the difference that our organisation - and community health services - make. You can read more about these in our Impact Report 2016. You can also download our 5 Year Impact Infographic.