Choosing Sulis for your NHS treatment

Your right to choose.

As an NHS patient in England, you have the right to choose where you receive your hospital care. This includes the option to have your treatment at Sulis Hospital Bath.

Part of the NHS family

We are the first independent hospital in the UK to be wholly owned by an NHS Trust - the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath. Operating as a dedicated elective (planned) treatment centre, we provide high-quality care that benefits our patients and the wider local health system.

What sets us apart?

Trusted and Safe: As part of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, we adhere to the highest standards of NHS governance and best practices. This ensures that you receive safe, reliable and effective care within the NHS family.
Zero-Incident Track Record: Your safety is our priority. We are proud of our zero-incident record for hospital-acquired MRSA and C.diff infections.
World-Class Expertise: Bath is home to some of the country's leading medical professionals and specialists. Patients benefit from the expertise of highly experienced specialist consultants across a range of disciplines.
Patient Choice: The NHS gives you the legal right to choose where to receive your treatment. This includes private hospitals like Sulis Hospital that provide NHS services, giving you greater control over your care and the ability to select the hospital that best meets your needs.

Key information

Continuity in Emergencies: In the unlikely event that a patient needs to be transferred to an acute trust hospital, they will usually be looked after by the same consultant.
Facilities and Comfort: Free on-site car park, freshly prepared food with locally sourced ingredients, catering for all dietary needs and free WIFI, all in a calm environment designed around recovery. We have a 5-star food hygiene rating.
Award Winning: Our commitment to quality is nationally recognised with awards spanning from HSJ partnership awards to architectural award and health can wellbeing awards.

Rapid Access to Treatment

We provide fast access to specialist consultants and diagnostic tests, ensuring your treatment begins without unnecessary delay. For your peace of mind, most of our consultants hold substantive contracts at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath. This close partnership ensures seamless continuity of care throughout your recovery.

Modern Facilities and Advanced Technology

Our hospital is a purpose-designed facility built to provide a calm and healing environment. You will be treated in one of our state-of-the-art operating theatres, equipped with the latest diagnostic technology. We maintain the highest clinical standards and are proud of the zero-incident track record for hospital-acquired MRSA and C.difficle infections.

Expert Staff

Sulis Hospital is home to more than 150 specialist consultants and a highly skilled nursing team dedicated to patient-centred care. As part of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, our staff adhere to the highest standards of NHS governance. This ensures that every NHS patient receives safe, expert treatment in a supportive environment.

Surgical Hub

Here at Sulis Hospital, we've established a Surgical Hub for some operations and procedures. Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) teamed up with the Patients Association to understand what works best for patients referred to a surgical hub or transferred from a trust to a surgical hub for their operation.

In this video, it explains what is involved if you choose to have your surgery at a surgical hub and patients share their experiences.

For information on patient choice, your can you can visit NHS England. NHS treatment is free of charge at point of delivery.

FAQs

Yes. You are not restricted to your local hospital. You can request a referral to Sulis Hospital Bath from any GP surgery in England. The 'Right to Choose' under the NHS Constitution allows patients to select any clinically appropriate provider (including independent hospitals like Sulis) for their first outpatient appointment.

No, the cost to the NHS is exactly the same. All hospitals providing NHS care are paid the same standard national rates for treatment they provide. Choosing Sulis Hospital does not cost your local NHS integrated care board (ICB) any extra. Unlike other private hospitals, Sulis Hospital operates a "social mission." Surplus funds generated are reinvested directly into the RUH and local NHS services. By choosing Sulis, you are actively supporting the wider NHS and the health of our local community.

Shorter waiting times: Referring patients to Sulis Hospital increases local surgical capacity, allowing more people to be treated faster across the whole NHS system.

Funding stays in the NHS: Because Sulis is part of the Royal United Hospitals (Bath) NHS Foundation Trust, our profits do not go to shareholders. Instead surplus funds are reinvested into local healthcare.

These are the clinics currently offered to NHS patients at Sulis Hospital through e-Referrals.

Colorectal Clinic
Cataract Clinic
Elbow Clinic
Eyes - Oculoplastics, Orbits and Lacrimal Clinic
Foot and Ankle Clinic
General Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
Gastroscopy Clinic
General Surgery - Lap Chole (gallbladder)
General Surgery - Lumps and Bumps Clinic
Gynaecology Clinic
Hand Surgery Clinic
Hernia Service Clinic
Hip Clinic
Knee Clinic
Shoulder Clinic
Spinal Clinic
Urology Clinic
Vascular Clinic

Certain medical exclusion criteria apply.

Sulis Hospital Bath aims to treat all patients reasonable timeframe.

Initial outpatient consultations are usually available within a few weeks for most NHS e-Referral clinics. This means that you will receive treatment a consultant diagnosis and have clarity on the next stages of your care.

Initial outpatient consultations are usually available within a 2 to 3 weeks for most NHS e-Referral clinics. For the latest NHS wait times click here.

Next steps

We’re delighted that you’ve chosen Sulis Hospital as your healthcare provider.

There are three NHS pathways to treatment at Sulis Hospital - NHS e-Referrals, the RUH Elective Care pathway for orthopaedic patients and you can also transfer your existing NHS care to Sulis Hospital.

NHS e-Referral allows you to choose and book your first outpatient appointment at hospitals and clinics across England.

First, ask your GP about referrals and let them know that you’re interested in going to Sulis Hospital. They’ll give you a letter listing your choice of hospitals and providing your unique booking reference number. If Sulis Hospital Bath is not given as a choice in the letter from your GP, please contact us at 01225 985 200 or email enquiries@sulishospital.com.

You can book through the NHS website or the NHS App. Using the app allows you to view or change your first outpatient appointment. To do this, you’ll need your booking reference number password or access code. It will have been given to you by your referrer. You can find out more about e-referrals on the NHS website.

If you choose to come to Sulis Hospital Bath, you’ll be offered a choice of clinic times including some weekend and evening appointments, allowing you to pick a time that suits you.

Your pre-operative and post-operative care will be managed through Sulis Hospital.

For information on patient choice, you can visit NHS England. NHS treatment is free of charge at point of delivery.

Patients who have chosen to have orthopaedic surgery at the Royal United Hospital Bath may be transferred to Sulis Hospital for their surgery.

For elective surgery, you can be treated at Sulis Hospital. By ‘elective surgery’ we mean surgery that you’ve chosen to have rather than emergency care.

We’re part of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. By offering elective treatment services we can help relieve pressure on a busy NHS hospital.

You’ll be pre-assessed at the Royal United Hospital Bath before they transfer your care to Sulis Hospital.

The length of stay for orthopaedic patients ranges from same-day to discharge on day two. Your post-operative care will be managed through the Royal United Hospital or in the community.

The RUH elective orthopaedic pathway is a different pathway to the e-Referrals pathway.

If you have to wait more than 18 weeks to start non-urgent treatment at another provider, you can ask to be transferred to Sulis Hospital instead.

We aim to treat patients within 18 weeks. The majority of patients are treated sooner. Initial consultations are usually available within a few weeks, with most treatments starting within 8 to 10 weeks.

Under the NHS Constitution (March 2013), you have the right to timely treatment or an alternative provider if wait times exceed the limit.

We can help you manage the transfer of your care to us. Click here to download the 'Changing your hospital' guide from The Department of Health.

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