Somerset NHS Foundation Trust runs acute hospital services, community services, mental health and learning disability services and a quarter of Somerset’s GP practices. It runs services from two acute hospitals – Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Yeovil Hospital in Yeovil – services in the community and services from the 13 community hospitals in the county, a range of mental health and learning disability services and Symphony Healthcare Services runs a quarter of GP practices in the county.

Our trust is the result of two mergers. The first merger in April 2020, between Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, brought together acute services, community service and mental health and learning disability services. The second merger brought together acute services from both acute hospitals in the county and a large proportion of the county’s GP practices.

We believe that the broad range of services that we offer within one organisation put us in a better position to provide mental and physical health services for our population, helping people to enjoy healthier lives with improved equitable access to the specialist care and treatment they need, when they need it.

We are an important part of the Somerset Integrated Care Board and work with NHS, social care and voluntary sector partners in Somerset to plan and deliver services. We care for patients mainly from Somerset but also from North Somerset, the west of Dorset and north of Devon.

Our aims in Somerset are to:

• Improve the health and wellbeing of our population. Enable people to live socially connected healthy, independent lives, promote early intervention and prevent avoidable illness.
• Provide the best care and support to children and adults. Ensure safe, sustainable, effective, high quality, person-centred support in the most appropriate setting.
• Strengthen care and support in local communities. Develop and enhance support in local neighbourhood areas and bring care closer to home.
• Reduce inequalities. Value all people alike, target our resources and attention where it is most needed, giving equal priority to physical and mental health.
• Respond well to complex needs. Improve outcomes for children and adults with complex needs through personalised, co-ordinated support.

Our clinical strategy, which was developed in consultation with colleagues, patients and system partners, sets out how as a trust we will play our part in delivering these five aims.

In addition to providing a wide range of patient services, we also contribute to training the next generation of nurses, doctors and therapists and conduct research that will help to advance clinical practice and treatments in the future.

Within our trust we are privileged to work with over 12,500 colleagues who deliver or support our patient services. From therapists to nurses, doctors, researchers, scientists, porters, cleaners, kitchen staff, accountants, those who teach and the receptionists who welcome our patients, the contribution of all of our colleagues is invaluable.

As a foundation trust we benefit from the support of and dedication of our volunteers, our Council of Governors, our Leagues of Friends, charities and partners – and we thank them for their contribution.