Bath RUH NHS Trust buys hospital to help reduce waiting times
The trust which runs the RUH in Bath has bought an independent hospital on the outskirts of the city in a bid to reduce long waiting lists.
The Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath NHS Foundation Trust has purchased Circle Bath in Peasedown St John, which provides care for private and NHS patients.
It has now been renamed the Sulis Hospital Bath and the trust hopes to increase capacity at the site.
The trust has not revealed how much it paid for the site, saying it is commercially sensitive information.
Patients do not need to do anything differently because of the acquisition and will receive the same care.
Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks said the hospital had provided support for the trust early in the pandemic by caring for elective and cancer patients.
She added: "This is a really positive next step for us to take together, and we're really pleased to welcome Sulis staff to our RUH family.
"Acquiring Sulis Hospital Bath will allow us to increase the number of NHS patients we treat whilst maintaining high-quality care for both private and NHS patients. We'll be investing in the future of Sulis Hospital Bath for the benefit of our community."
Hospital director at Sulis Hospital Bath Lesley Lock said: "With our new partner, we can grow and develop and our services and expand our region's healthcare offering for all patients."
The trust is also planning to increase diagnostic capacity using the facilities at Sulis Hospital Bath, which will provide quicker and easier access to a range of tests on the same day.
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