| Southmead Hospital | |
| North Bristol NHS Trust | |
|---|---|
| Southmead Hospital Training Centre | |
|
Shown in Bristol
|
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| Geography | |
| Location | Westbury on Trym, Bristol, England, United Kingdom |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Hospital type | District General |
| Affiliated university | University of Bristol, Faculty of Health and Social Care University of West of England |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Minor injuries only, not 24 hour |
| History | |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.nbt.nhs.uk |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
Southmead Hospital is a large hospital, situated in the northern suburbs of Bristol, England, part of the North Bristol NHS Trust.
The hospital opened in 1902 as a 64 bed workhouse for poor sick people. By 1911 there were 520 beds.
During World War I, the facilities were used as an army hospital. The facilities reverted back to a workhouse in the early 1920s and were then greatly extended to accommodate all the sick poor.
In 1924, the Southmead Infirmary was built and was later renamed Southmead Hospital. The hospital has been greatly expanded and now covers 60 acres (240,000 m2).
In 2005 another expansion was planned which will include moving some services from Frenchay Hospital to the Southmead site. This will result in Frenchay Hospital being downgraded to a Community Hospital. The project should be finished in 2013. Full approval for the project was given by the NHS South West board in January 2009.[1]
Southmead is served by local charity Freewheelers EVS, whose volunteers provide a free-of-charge motorcycle courier service between Southmead and other hospitals in the area.
Notable former medical staff include Geoffrey Tovey, serologist and founder of the UK Transplant Service, which was initially based at the hospital.