Hospitals in and around Bristol
Two NHS trusts serve Bristol: University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, which runs the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead Hospital. The main private hospitals are Spire Bristol Hospital and Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (The Chesterfield).
Hospital names and ownership change. Check the current list on the Private Healthcare Information Network before relying on it.
Which system applies in Bristol
Care here is run by NHS England and by local integrated care boards. Planned treatment is measured on the referral-to-treatment pathway, and hospitals publish their own waiting information through My Planned Care.
You can find the published waiting information for a hospital in Bristol and the South West through My Planned Care. [2] Our waiting times tool takes you there for the specialty you need.
What is different about Bristol
Two NHS trusts serve the city, so check which one your GP refers to.
Choosing where you are treated
In England you have a legal right to choose which hospital you are referred to for most planned care, including many independent providers working for the NHS. [3] The devolved nations run choice differently, and in practice the choice often comes down to how far you are willing to travel. [4]
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The hospital list on your policy | Insurers sell the same policy with different hospital lists; a cheaper list often excludes the nearest private hospital |
| The consultant’s fee status | A consultant who is not fee-assured with your insurer can leave you with a shortfall |
| Travel and follow-up | Follow-up appointments and physiotherapy mean repeat journeys, not one |
| Inspection rating | Regulators publish inspection reports for private hospitals as well as NHS ones |
| Who treats a complication | Private hospitals differ in what they can handle on site and when they transfer to the NHS |
Health insurance in this area
Insurers price partly on where you live, because local treatment costs and claim patterns differ. Cover bought for Bristol and the South West behaves the same as anywhere else in the UK — what changes is the hospital list you are offered and, sometimes, the premium. Our guide to what affects the price explains how postcode fits alongside age, excess and cover level.
Private hospital and consultant information is published by the Private Healthcare Information Network, and the Care Quality Commission and its equivalents publish inspection reports. [5] [6]
Questions worth asking locally
Sources and methodology
- [1] NHS England. “Referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times statistics”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [2] NHS England. “My Planned Care — hospital waiting time information”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [3] NHS. “Your choices in the NHS”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [4] NHS. “Guide to NHS waiting times in England”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [5] Private Healthcare Information Network. “Private hospital and consultant performance and fee information”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [6] Care Quality Commission. “Find and compare care services”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
We cite primary sources wherever possible. Read about our sourcing methodology.
Guides that explain this in full
Ilana Eldad
Corporate PMI Specialist, PremierPMI
- ACCA-qualified
- Corporate and SME scheme specialist
Ilana oversees business health insurance schemes for the corporate and SME team, guiding employers from initial quotes through claims and renewal. ACCA-qualified, she applies that financial background to reducing premiums and advising on tax-deductibility, and runs the largest corporate portfolio at PremierPMI.
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Emma Leadbetter
Editor and Copywriter, PremierPMI
- 15 years health, finance and consumer journalism
- PhD candidate, University of Chichester
Emma has written across health, finance and consumer-affairs journalism for more than 15 years, and has been part of the PremierPMI team since 2022. She is known for making complex topics easy to understand, and fact-checks every guide against current insurer wording before it goes live. She is completing a PhD at the University of Chichester researching how the NHS has changed since COVID-19.
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