Ruth McCarthy

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is the first NHS trust on the English mainland to provide community, mental health and acute hospital services. We work with health and social care partners in Somerset to ensure that we deliver outstanding services that meet the needs of our population, and this was highlighted at the Health Service Journal Awards 2021, where we were awarded Mental Health Trust of the Year. Our trust was formed on 1 April 2020 when Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust merged, bringing together innovative and successful teams who have a track record of providing community and mental health services across the whole of Somerset and acute hospital services in the north, west and centre of the county and beyond. We are privileged to work with over 9,000 colleagues who deliver or support our patient services. From therapists to nurses, doctors, researchers, scientists, porters, cleaners, kitchen staff, accountants, those who teach the next generation of clinicians and the receptionists who welcome our patients, the contribution of all our colleagues is invaluable. Working together we provide services from the cradle to the grave, including: • Services delivered in your own home such as Somerset's Rapid Response service that cares for patients to support them during a period of crisis and avoided over 1,000 patients going to hospital in its first year • Primary care from three GP practices • A range of services from 13 community hospital including outpatient and diagnostic services, 190 inpatient beds and seven Minor Injuries Units. • A range of specialist mental health services • Specialist healthcare for adults with learning disabilities • Community dental health services • Regional, specialist and hospital services from Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton including medical and surgical care, maternity services and cancer treatment services