Our Population Health and Strategic Commissioning Plan sets out the priorities for health and social care services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
The creation of plans like this is a national requirement for all areas, and we have developed ours in close collaboration with NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board as we work to bring our organisations together as part of the NHS Changes.
We have three shared ambitions – healthy lives, health equity and best value. Our focus is on year one, with the intention of having a single plan from 2027.
This plan builds on everything we have done so far and helps us concentrate on our new role as a strategic commissioning organisation. It prioritises communities that will help us achieve our ambitions, on developing neighbourhood health, and the three shifts set out in the national NHS 10-year plan.
Our three strategic ambitions
Our work will be guided by three strategic ambitions.
Healthy Lives: People live healthier lives for longer, by preventing avoidable illness and decline
We will create the conditions for good health, helping people stay well and slowing the transition into poorer health, reducing avoidable demand on services.
Health Equity: Health outcomes, experience and access are fairer across all communities
With equity being a central theme throughout this plan, we will work with partners to address the root causes of inequality and target support to groups and neighbourhoods experiencing the poorest outcomes and experiences.
Our organisations have historically made decisions about services that have inadvertently favoured some groups over others due to biases involving ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, income, immigration status, housing, criminal justice history, language, and other factors. We acknowledge this inaction and are committed to change.
Best Value: What we value is defined by people’s experiences and outcomes within a sustainable health and social care system
We will maximise the value of care delivered, regardless of individuals’ health needs, by making every £1 spent as effective as possible. Focusing on improving experiences strengthens outcomes and decreases avoidable costs. When care prioritises clear communication, continuity, dignity, and shared decision-making, people are more likely to trust services, follow treatment plans, and seek timely help – improving results and reducing duplication, complaints, and unnecessary acute care.
