FIVE of the 40 “new hospitals” announced by the government through its £3.7 billion scheme will be built in Dorset, although little detail of the projects has been revealed.

Dorset HealthCare, which runs the county’s mental health and community NHS services, saw five of its bids win support as part of the government’s health infrastructure plan.

However it has refused to provide details of the schemes, only saying it was “delighted” it would be given funding to support “much-needed” developments.

Announcing the 40 successful projects at the end of last week, prime minister Boris Johnson described the health infrastructure plan as “the biggest hospital building programme in a generation”.

Five are schemes planned in Dorset:

  • The “rebuild of Christchurch community hospital”,
  • the “rebuild of Bournemouth community hospital”,
  • the “rebuild of Poole community hospital”,
  • a “new build of Dorchester community hospital”
  • and a “new build” at St Ann’s Hospital in Canford Cliffs.

All five schemes will be led by Dorset HealthCare and are all part of the second phase of the programme which is due to be implemented between 2025 and 2030.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said the announcement showed the government would “recommit to protect the NHS for years to come with the 40 new hospitals we will build over the next decade”.

But only limited extra information about what the projects in Dorset will involve has been made public.

The new hospital in Dorchester will include a “new emergency department and intensive care unit” which it says will bring “better integration” with existing NHS services.

It says the new facility in Poole will provide “theatres and sterile services” and help to reduce pressure on Poole Hospital and other community services.

And the Christchurch project will “consolidate” existing facilities “into new community hubs”.

The chief executive of Dorset HealthCare, Eugine Yafele, said he was “delighted” by the funding announcement but his trust refused to provide any further details of the five projects.

“This [the funding] will support much-needed developments across our estate so that we can continue to deliver outstanding health care services for the people of Dorset,” he said.

“We will now be working with our partners and with the people who use our services to create more detailed plans which reflect the needs and priorities of local people.”

The Dorset schemes all feature among the 25 included in the second phase of the health infrastructure plan and the government has invited bids for eight extra projects across the England.