10/09/2026
Friends of North Somerset Community Hospital
Newsletter August 2026
150 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NORTH SOMERSET COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
2025 marked the 150 year anniversary of North Somerset Community Hospital.
The hospital was originally formed of two cottages donated by the Elton family with the addition of accommodation for a resident matron. W
Despite retaining the original buildings, the Hospital has developed over the past 150 years into an up to date community healthcare hub for the residents of North Somerset.
We are delighted to welcome Jo B**r as the new CEO of Sirona Healthcare who are contracted to provide all Community Services.
The League of Friends was formed much later in 1954 with the aim to raise funds which would be used to help patients and staff of the hospital. Our main source of income in recent years has been from The Little Teapot providing refreshments to users of the hospital. We have also been very grateful to receive donations from local organisations and legacies from local residents.
A particular mention to Junior P**n who has been a great supporter of this hospital over the years and raised considerable funds, and we wish him well in his retirement.
Items purchased by the Friends in 2025/6
1. Large dementia friendly boards and orientation clocks.
These are proving a great success in the inpatient unit and feedback has been very positive.
2. A microwave for use by the hospital staff.
3. 15 new pagers with protective cases for patients waiting to be seen in the MIU and the range covers the Little Teapot so patients can get refreshments if needed.
4. A reclining wheeled chair for the Xray patients. This has meant that the minor injuries unit can now manage patient transfers to the x-ray department with potential hip fractures.
5. New slit lamp and desk for the minor injuries unit. A slit lamp is used to see the front and inside of the eye in great detail. This allows staff to assess eye problems, and it will avoid many referrals to The Eye Hospital in Bristol.
6. The provision of a water supply and drainage to the portacabin which is used as a rest room for staff. The Friends worked closely with the hospital to find a solution and are delighted to say that this has now been achieved.
7. Ongoing annual expenditure are newspapers for patients in the rehabilitation wards, staff refreshments, Christmas presents for staff and patients, property and public liability insurance and accountancy fees.
Details on The Minor Injury Unit (MIU).
We said goodbye to Matt Croughan and Helen Stevens in 2025. Both were instrumental in
developing the MIU into a first class resource for our community over more than a decade. Matt was pivotal in the inception and realization of the Little Teapot facility which was fully funded by the Friends. Without his efforts, the Little Teapot, along with its enormous benefit for patients and staff would simply not exist. We wish both well in their future plans and thank them for all that they have done.
We welcome Hannah Rees as the new MIU manager.
A few statistics that you may find interesting:
1st April 2025-31st March 2026 – There were 27352 attendances (2.67% above target). Of these 19748 were adults and 7604 children.
Average daily attendance 74
99.5% patients seen within 4 hours exceeding the national target of 95%. Peak times 8-10am
weekdays and 10-11 weekends.
Equal split men and women.
Details on The Elton Rehabilitation Unit
The inpatient beds have been very well used with a utilisation figure of 7.8 beds (there are 8 in total). 65 % of patients went home after 31 days and the remainder transferred to long stay homes.
The Little Teapot
The Little Teapot is the main fundraising activity for the Friends and with the efforts of Peter
Rideout and a group of volunteers has raised over £1000 per month. We thank Peter and his team for their hard work.
Volunteers are needed to make cakes for the Little Teapot especially early in the week. A
contribution towards costs is made per cake. If you feel you would like to get involved, please contact David Fife on [email protected]
page ‘North Somerset Community Hospital Friends’
The Friends has its own page - please take a look if you haven’t already.
Website
The Friends also has its own website: friendsofnscommunityhospital.org.uk
The Friends would like to thank all the hospital staff for all the hard work they have put in. The Friends will continue to do all they can to facilitate improvements in services.
Finally, we thank the members for their continued support. Our next AGM will be in May 2027 - details will be sent nearer the time. Members of the public are welcome and particularly anyone interested in joining the committee. More information from the Chair, David Fife, at [email protected]
We're a small local registered charity which aims to help patients and staff of North Somerset Community Hospital formerly known as Clevedon Community Hospital or the Cottage Hospital,North Somerset Community Hospital formerly known as Clevedon Community Hospital or the Cottage Hospital, Helping to....
