TWO Somerset NHS trusts have merged – becoming the first trust on the English mainland to provide combined community, mental health and acute hospital services.

The Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust have merged are now the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (Somerset FT).

Somerset FT provides community services, including services in people’s own homes, community sites and from community hospitals in the county, mental health and learning disability services, and services at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

Peter Lewis, chief executive of Somerset FT said: “This is the culmination of nearly three years’ work by colleagues within mental health, community and hospital services who have worked hard to join up services and care for patients in our county.

“The impetus for our merger came from our colleagues across both our legacy trusts who saw the improvements that we can make for our patients if we join up services. I thank them for this and pay tribute to them as they pull out all the stops, working collaboratively, to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.”

The two legacy trusts have worked closely since forming an alliance in May 2017. In late 2017, the two trusts established a joint executive team which oversaw all aspects of both trusts’ operations and worked to a single set of strategic objectives covering hospital, community and mental health services.

“We will continue to work collaboratively in partnership with all our providers as we strive to keep the people of Somerset, and our health and care staff, as safe as possible.”