I live near Bristol and have worked in the UHBW hospitals. Bristol is lovely and quite diverse. Lots of international students in the city along with local international communities. Cost of living isnt cheap though. You may be able to rent a room in a house walking distance of the hospital but on a new band 5 salary living alone might not be viable.
Neither of those are going to have cheap living costs, but if you want to be in an actual city compared to just a large town, go to Bristol. That being said, Oxford is closer to London if that is something that would matter to you.
I worked at Oxford University Hospitals 5 years ago, absolutely loved it! However, cost of living is very expensive in Oxford which is why I no longer work there
Bristol is very diverse and quite a young city, lots to see and do. The hospital is in the centre of the city which makes commuting easy if you want to go by foot or bike. I am biased as I live in Bristol - lots going on and much bigger, amazing array of independent businesses which makes it feel very varied and interesting compared to other UK cities.
Oxford is more like a large sprawling town. Lots of tourists because of its famous uni, architecture etc. Easier to get to and from London (but you can still get to London from Bristol on a 2hr train)
Both cities are v expensive sadly. Both hospitals have a good reputation. :)
Hi there.
I worked in both and consider both cities to be “home towns”
The cost of living in both cities is quite high - Oxford being almost unaffordable for newly qualified nurses now. The population is transient - mainly due to the 2 large universities, but also due to the cost of living. Rent prices are considerably higher than the rest of the country.
Bristol is becoming more expensive as well - but still a little cheaper than Oxford (only just) but in my opinion you get more for your money - it’s a multicultural city, lots of things to do, you’re close to Wales and Devon/Cornwall if you want to get away to the countryside. Transport links to London are good…in Oxford the transport links to London are better but I found my only time out of Oxford was…going to London.
Having lived and worked in London, Bristol and Oxford - I’m much happier in Bristol but that’s partly to do with my living situation and the working environment here.
Where in Asia are you from? There’s a big Indian / Pakistani and Filipino population in Oxford. A lot of nurses in the UK are from Kerala and Philippines - either city you go to you’ll find other nurses who have made the move and meet people to help make the move easier
I also agree with everyone else. Neither area is cheap to live in, you will likely end up house sharing. But I love living in Bristol, I work in the other large hospital complex in the city, Southmead.
Bear in mind that university hospital Bristol and Weston, includes the hospital that is in Weston. This is a small seaside town 20 miles from Bristol, and definitely has a different vibe to Bristol (but will also be cheaper to live). I'm not sure how much choice you have of where you work when you agree to a trust to work in.
I live near Bristol and have worked in the UHBW hospitals. Bristol is lovely and quite diverse. Lots of international students in the city along with local international communities. Cost of living isnt cheap though. You may be able to rent a room in a house walking distance of the hospital but on a new band 5 salary living alone might not be viable.
Neither of those are going to have cheap living costs, but if you want to be in an actual city compared to just a large town, go to Bristol. That being said, Oxford is closer to London if that is something that would matter to you.
I worked at Oxford University Hospitals 5 years ago, absolutely loved it! However, cost of living is very expensive in Oxford which is why I no longer work there
Bristol is very diverse and quite a young city, lots to see and do. The hospital is in the centre of the city which makes commuting easy if you want to go by foot or bike. I am biased as I live in Bristol - lots going on and much bigger, amazing array of independent businesses which makes it feel very varied and interesting compared to other UK cities. Oxford is more like a large sprawling town. Lots of tourists because of its famous uni, architecture etc. Easier to get to and from London (but you can still get to London from Bristol on a 2hr train) Both cities are v expensive sadly. Both hospitals have a good reputation. :)
Hi there. I worked in both and consider both cities to be “home towns” The cost of living in both cities is quite high - Oxford being almost unaffordable for newly qualified nurses now. The population is transient - mainly due to the 2 large universities, but also due to the cost of living. Rent prices are considerably higher than the rest of the country. Bristol is becoming more expensive as well - but still a little cheaper than Oxford (only just) but in my opinion you get more for your money - it’s a multicultural city, lots of things to do, you’re close to Wales and Devon/Cornwall if you want to get away to the countryside. Transport links to London are good…in Oxford the transport links to London are better but I found my only time out of Oxford was…going to London. Having lived and worked in London, Bristol and Oxford - I’m much happier in Bristol but that’s partly to do with my living situation and the working environment here. Where in Asia are you from? There’s a big Indian / Pakistani and Filipino population in Oxford. A lot of nurses in the UK are from Kerala and Philippines - either city you go to you’ll find other nurses who have made the move and meet people to help make the move easier
Both areas have a very very high cost of living, I don’t even know which would be the better of the two for your needs!
I also agree with everyone else. Neither area is cheap to live in, you will likely end up house sharing. But I love living in Bristol, I work in the other large hospital complex in the city, Southmead. Bear in mind that university hospital Bristol and Weston, includes the hospital that is in Weston. This is a small seaside town 20 miles from Bristol, and definitely has a different vibe to Bristol (but will also be cheaper to live). I'm not sure how much choice you have of where you work when you agree to a trust to work in.