Six things you might have learnt at the RUH Community Day

On Saturday 13 September, the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath NHS Foundation Trust was delighted to welcome patients, visitors and local residents to its second Community Day, in partnership with the hospital's charity RUHX.

The hospital was also joined by a number of its community partners: Avon & Somerset Police, AWP Mental Health Partnership, BaNES Council (including the Sustainable Travel team), Bath Sound, Bath Urban Treescape, the Community Wellbeing Hub, DrDoctor, Freewheelers, LiveWell BaNES, ReMind UK, Riverside Nursery, Skills Connect, St John Ambulance and Sulis Hospital. Together, they showed how we are supporting people both when they are being cared for at the RUH and long after they go home.

With more than forty stands to enjoy, it wouldn't be possible to fit all of the information, advice and support shared on the day into just one piece. So here's a short selection of fun facts and useful information you would have learned about the RUH on the day.

1. When you're in hospital, you can request a visit from furry friends
   Volunteer Pets as Therapy (PAT) dogs Daisy the whippet, Guss the French bulldog and Joey the cockapoo demonstrated the healing power of pooches. Their humans were also on-hand to explain that patients, visitors and staff needing a boost could request visits from them via the RUH's Patient Experience Team.
   You don't need four paws to volunteer at the hospital however, and other members of the team shared how there are many different roles available to fit your interests and lifestyle – and you can find out more on the Friends of the RUH website.
2. The hospital has a (toy) therapy cat
   The cat is part of the specialist dementia team and is one of many ways that they connect with people living with dementia. The team works alongside the Enhanced Care and Support Team (ECST), which aims to improve the experience of patients by providing enhanced, therapeutic care, supervision and support to those who need it – for example, to patients with mental health needs, learning disabilities, eating disorders, autism and dementia. The specialist teams provide a completely person-centred approach to help improve their experience of being in hospital, from communication support to painting nails and aromatherapy.
3. The gloves are off! ... Sometimes
   Did you know that one box of single-use medical gloves produces the same amount of carbon emissions as driving 40 miles in a standard petrol car? Sometimes wearing these gloves is really important. However, there's many other occasions when it's just as safe to use clean, bare hands. The RUH has launched its 'Gloves Off' campaign to help staff make a decision about when to wear – and when to ditch – the gloves. They were at the day to explain why you might see staff wearing gloves less frequently than before, and how that is better for both patients and the planet.
4. Many blood donations are driven to hospital by volunteer motorbike riders
   The Freewheelers EVS provide a free, out-of-hours courier service to hospitals in the South West of England. They don't just support with moving blood; they might also transport frozen donor breast milk, small pieces of medical equipment, pathology samples and more – if it can fit on a bike, they can move it!
5. The hospital has dedicated arts and music programmes
   Did you know that the RUH is one of Bath's largest and most accessible exhibition spaces? If you've walked the corridors, you might have noticed the displays of themed artworks, which feature pieces by both amateur and professional arts and arts organisations. You can even buy many of these pieces, and one third of all sales goes back towards the RUH.
   The 'Art at the Heart' programme also organises healing and uplifting events and opportunities for those who use the RUH, including performances from local musicians, a Musician-in-Residence who regularly visits wards and art workshops for children and grown-ups alike. They provide a space to get away from a clinical setting, inspire new connections and generally help to improve a hospital stay.
   More than seventy visitors to the Community Day were able to experience the benefits of these workshops by helping Edwina Bridgeman to paint individual poles, which will be assembled into a sculpture in the hospital's Wellbeing Garden.
6. And the day helped connect people throughout the community
   The RUH was also delighted to welcome the Deputy Mayor of Bath Councillor Ian Halsall and Wera Hobhouse MP to the event, and to share more about the work being undertaken both by the RUH and its partners to make Bath and healthier place for everyone to live and work. Wera Hobhouse said: "It was a real pleasure to be part of the RUH Community Day – what a fantastic way to bring people together to celebrate our local NHS, learn new skills, and have fun. I even had the chance to practise CPR and take part in a very realistic casualty simulation with St John Ambulance! It's wonderful to see the RUH opening its doors and engaging so positively with the community."

Did you attend the RUH Community Day 2025? The hospital would love to hear your feedback to help them plan future events. You can share your thoughts using this short form. Thank you for your time.

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