Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is the first NHS organisation to launch a website on LocalNHS Drupal, an open-source platform designed to let trusts share digital infrastructure and reduce duplication.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has become the first NHS organisation to launch a website built on LocalNHS Drupal, a new open-source digital platform developed specifically for NHS organisations in partnership with digital agency Big Blue Door.
Based on LocalGov Drupal, which is used by more than 60 councils across the UK and Ireland, LocalNHS Drupal is designed to let NHS trusts collaborate around shared website infrastructure instead of independently commissioning bespoke functionality. The approach aims to reduce duplication and allow improvements made by one organisation to be shared across the wider NHS community.
The website features AI-powered natural-language search, responsive design, accessibility features and a content publishing platform for trust staff. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 July 2026 through the merger of North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, serving Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire and providing specialist services across the South West and elsewhere.
Elliot Nichols, chief communications and engagement officer at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: “By becoming the first NHS organisation to launch a website built on LocalNHS Drupal, we’re not only improving the experience for our patients, visitors and staff, but also helping to pioneer a collaborative approach that has the potential to benefit NHS organisations across the country.”
Paul Jenkins, managing partner at Big Blue Door, said: “The best public sector technology is built in the open.”
The move comes amid debate over NHS open-source policy, following NHS England’s restrictions on some open-source code in May 2026 over AI-related security concerns.
Dr Marcus Baw, freelance software developer and clinical informatician, said open-source NHS-wide projects could help retain in-house technology talent and reduce dependency on external agencies, vendors and consultancies.
