NO new hospitals will be built in Dorset - despite the Prime Minister's pledge to invest in NHS sites across the country.
While five existing hospitals are in the process or are set to receive major investment and development, no brand new hospitals will be opened.
The co-founder of a Dorset health campaign group hit out at suggestions there were would be new hospitals opening in the county.
In late 2020, Boris Johnson announced that 40 hospitals will be built by 2030 as part of a package worth £3.7billion delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister made reference to this commitment in his House of Commons statement on Sue Gray's update into her investigation into alleged Covid rule breaking parties in Downing Street.
Referencing details of his government's track record, Mr Johnson said it was "building 40 new hospitals". Five of these are said to be in Dorset.
In October 2020, it was reported Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, 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.
The five schemes were described as 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.
At the time, 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.
References to St Ann's, Christchurch community, Bournemouth community and Poole community hospitals are made in the Government's levelling up white paper, which was published last week.
However, now a Dorset HealthCare spokeswoman has confirmed the only project related to the trust was at St Ann's, a psychiatric hospital in Haven Road.
The spokeswoman directed the Daily Echo to website ourdorset.org.uk, which provides details on the partnership between Dorset Council, BCP Council, NHS trusts, including hospitals and the ambulance service, and Public Health Dorset.
The website says: "The New Hospital Programme is part of the national ‘Health Infrastructure Plan’ and is set to transform the delivery of NHS healthcare infrastructure to build back better, giving us world-class healthcare facilities.
"The programme will implement cutting-edge digital technologies across the NHS and will support an integrated approach to building new healthcare infrastructure using modern methods of construction. The government has committed to building and improving 40 hospital sites by 2030.
"As part of this national programme of work Dorset was successful in a bid to develop and make improvements to five of our hospitals. We are also committed to investing further in our NHS buildings and facilities across the county."
Debby Monkhouse, co-founder of the Defend Dorset NHS campaign group, told the Daily Echo it was wrong to call them new hospitals.
She said the number of A&E and maternity departments in the county was decreasing.
“Residents are being conned,” said Ms Monkhouse. “Whether they buy into it is another matter. They are being told one thing when the truth is in fact something different.”
Steve Killen, New Hospital Programme director for Dorset, said: “Being part of the New Hospital Programme is a great opportunity to further improve health for the population of Dorset, with the government committing to building 40 new hospitals by 2030.
“The programme will implement cutting-edge digital technologies across the NHS and will support an integrated approach to building new healthcare infrastructure using modern methods of construction.
“As part of this national programme of work Dorset has been successful in a bid to develop and make improvements to five of our hospitals."
Mr Killen said this featured investment at Royal Bournemouth Hospital towards a new ambulatory unit and increased bed capacity, refurbished paediatric outpatients service, new theatres and a new hospital main entrance building.
On the Poole Hospital site, the new hospital investment includes an innovative new community hub, further developments in a state-of-the-art theatre complex, ward refurbishments and sterile services department.
At Christchurch Hospital, the investment in digital outpatients for the Dorset ICS (Integrated Care System) and provision of a new community hub and associated facilities which in turn facilitates the creation of a charity-funded specialist palliative care unit.
The senior NHS director said Dorset County Hospital options include a new emergency department and critical care unit as well as an integrated primary and community services hub, while Dorset Healthcare plan to develop its mental health facilities in the east of the region, including sites at St Ann’s Hospital in Poole and Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth.
Mr Killen added: “As a Dorset system we aim to submit outline business cases for each respective organisation to NHS England/Improvement across the summer, with the completion of agreed projects between 2024 and 2026.”
In relation to use of 'community hospital' in project names, a hospital trust spokesman said all of the hospitals have an "aspect of community hubs as part of the investment".
On why they were listed as Dorset HealthCare projects previously, the spokesman said Dorset submitted a response as a health economy and the decision was made to submit the initial response through Dorset HealthCare.
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