Poole councillors vote for Poole Hospital to be major A&E facility

Borough of Poole councillors voted this week to lend their support to residents’ calls for Poole Hospital to be the major emergency centre for the area.

Plans from NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have proposed reconfiguration of hospital services in the county, and suggest making Royal Bournemouth Hospital the major emergency centre, whilst Poole Hospital would become the centre for planned care. The initial results of a public consultation on the proposals were released earlier this month, with close to 2,500 responses received from Poole residents.

Cllr Karen Rampton, cabinet portfolio holder for Health and Social Care, brought the motion to the Council meeting at the end of June. She said, “Whilst we understand the reasons for, and support the principle of acute hospital reconfiguration, we would like to support the residents of Poole who responded to the CCG consultation. It is clear that the majority of them feel that Poole General Hospital should be the major emergency hospital, and the Royal Bournemouth the hospital for planned care, and we would wish to support our residents with this view.

“I am pleased that this will now be the council’s official position going forward, although we of course recognise that the ultimate decision rests with NHS Dorset CCG.”