Weston General Hospital celebrates 40th anniversary

The hospital, which serves more than 200,000 people across Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset, marks its 40th anniversary on Wednesday, September 16.

Since opening in Uphill in 1986, the hospital has expanded significantly, introducing new services and facilities while treating hundreds of thousands of patients.

In 2025/26 alone, its teams cared for almost 250,000 people.

Weston General Hospital is celebrating its 40th anniversary (Image: Weston General Hospital)

Fern Jameson, director of nursing at Weston General Hospital, said: “Today, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Weston General Hospital. I am immensely proud of the welcoming, caring and special place it is, and has been for the past four decades.

“Weston General Hospital represents the thriving community it serves, through the people who we care for, our passionate, ambitious, and dedicated colleagues, and our supporters who have taken on bed-pushes, knitted, ran, walked and swam in support of our hospital.

“As we celebrate 40 years of Weston General Hospital, I want to recognise everything that has been achieved so far, as well as the exciting vision we have for health care in Weston in the future.”

The hospital was built at a cost of £20 million and brought together services previously provided at Queen Alexandra Memorial Hospital, the Royal Hospital and Ashcombe House Maternity Hospital.

Among the many changes since then was the opening of the Jackson Barstow Wing in 2003, providing dedicated oncology and haematology services.

The Seashore Centre followed in 2007, supporting children and young people, while a £5 million investment helped create the Same Day Emergency Care Unit in 2023.

Hospital staff at the Same Day Emergency Care Unit

The hospital has also received national recognition, including awards for sexual health services and haematology care.

Over the years, local residents have played a major role in supporting fundraising efforts, from staff bed-pushes along Weston seafront to campaigns backed by well-known figures including Monty Python star Terry Jones and double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell.

Maria Kane, chief executive of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Over the last 40 years we have made massive strides in providing high quality, joined up and closer to home care for people in Weston and North Somerset.

“This has been possible thanks to the dedication, drive and compassion shown by our teams every day, who continue to innovate and collaborate with communities and partners to deliver for local people.”

Staff are marking the anniversary with tea, cake, a historic photo exhibition and performances from poet-in-residence Beth Calverley and singer Marvin Muoneké.

In April 2020, Weston General Hospital formally joined University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.

The organisation later became Bristol NHS Foundation Trust in July 2026.

A nearly £5 million NHS England grant was announced in 2024 to expand same-day emergency care, helping more people be assessed, diagnosed and treated without hospital admission.