Care homes near Southmead Hospital, Bedminster – page 2

Leaving hospital: what happens next

1. Planning starts early. The ward usually starts planning a discharge soon after admission. Ask who is coordinating it and when the patient is expected to be ready to leave.
2. Ask for a needs assessment. If the patient may need care afterwards, the hospital discharge team works with the council’s social care team to assess what support is needed. The assessment is free.
3. Short-term support may come first. Many people go home or to a care home with short-term “intermediate care” or reablement, which is free for up to six weeks. Longer-term needs can then be assessed once they have recovered.
4. Ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare. If the patient’s needs are mainly health needs, ask for an assessment for NHS Continuing Healthcare. If they qualify, the NHS pays the full cost of their care. How it works.
5. Choosing a care home. A hospital bed usually can’t be kept while you wait for a particular home, so a short or interim stay is common. Use the list above to shortlist homes, and see our guides to hospital discharge, choosing a care home and respite and short stays.

Services for older people at Southmead Hospital

• Medicine for older people inpatient wardsGate 28 and Gate 9, Level 5, Brunel buildingOlder people's medical wards. Acute medical admissions go first to the acute medical unit at Gate 31, then move to these wards. Source
• Acute frailty unitThe acute frailty unit is on ward 32A. Source
• Post-discharge rehabilitation wardElgar HouseMedically stable patients may move to a post-discharge rehabilitation ward at Elgar House on the Southmead site. Source
• Falls clinic for older peopleHospital falls assessment for older people, by referral, for recurrent falls or unexplained dizziness where a cause has not been found. Source
• Specialist dementia care teamA nurse-led team offering assessment and care planning for patients with dementia, with carers' support and liaison with community services. Source
• Specialist palliative care teamAdvisory team for patients with complex palliative and end-of-life needs, referred by ward teams. Visits are made Monday to Friday. Source
• Hyper acute stroke unit (HASU)Gate 34bSpecialist ward for people with a new suspected stroke, where clot-busting treatment starts in the emergency department. Source
• Discharge loungeGate 24, Level 1, Brunel buildingPatients can wait here for transport or collection after discharge, with nursing care and refreshments. Telephone 0117 4140280. Source
• Patient advice and liaison service (PALS)Gate 0, Brunel buildingHelp with concerns, from the PALS office, or by phone on 0117 414 4569 or email pals@nbt.nhs.uk. Source
• Carers support in hospitalCarers can discuss their own circumstances with ward staff when the person they care for is admitted. Source

Getting there and visiting

• Buses and trainsMany bus services stop directly outside the Brunel building on the Southmead site. Source
• Buses and trainsThe nearest stations are Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads, and each has bus connections to the hospital. Source
• ParkingPay parking across the Southmead site. Automatic number plate recognition car parks, including the emergency department car park, charge when you exit without a ticket. Public parking has limited capacity. Source
• NHS patient transportPlanned non-emergency patient transport for eligible Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire patients. Booking and enquiry line 0300 777 6688. Source

Map of the hospital site

Our own map from OpenStreetMap. It doesn’t show wards or floors.

Care homes near other hospitals

• Care homes near Bristol Royal Infirmary · A&E · 2.5 miles away
• Care homes near Royal United Hospital Bath · A&E · 11.2 miles away
• Care homes near Paulton Memorial Hospital · urgent care · 14.2 miles away
• Care homes near Vale Community Hospital · urgent care · 16.8 miles away

Questions about care homes near Southmead Hospital