University Hospitals Dorset lodge endoscopy facility at Poole hospital

University Hospitals Dorset has submitted a proposal for a new endoscopy facility at the hospital, in place of the hospital’s old ambulance station, Park View House, in Churchfield Road.

Endoscopy is a test to look inside patients’ bodies and includes tests like a colonoscopy.

A design and access statement submitted to the council by P and HS Architects on behalf of UHD said the new building would provide ‘the highest standards of patient care and maximised patient experience’.

The statement said: “This expansion project on the UHD Poole site will support the transformation plan in the East of the County by providing additional capacity to scope patients in a safe and timely manner, in appropriate clinical and chronological order.

“Locating the expansion project on the planned care site also fits with UHD’s strategy for Poole to be designated as the major planned care hospital in East Dorset as part of the reconfiguration.

“It will provide dedicated additional diagnostic capacity, which in turn will enable the development and delivery of complex services within our unit on the acute site at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.”

The new building will include six procedure rooms, along with associated assessment, recovery and counselling rooms.

It will also give the opportunity for expansion in the future, developing the site as a training hub.

Other benefits of the proposed building include improving recruitment and retention of staff, as well as improving staff experience.

It will also provide opportunities to develop new technologies and ways of working, while creating a state-of-the-art unit that will remove reliance on high-cost external providers.

The proposals would bring an extra three endoscopy rooms to the UHD area.

The design and access statement concluded: “In conclusion, the proposals have been very carefully considered and thoughtfully crafted.

“They accommodate complex technical and functional requirements in a welcoming building: very much of human scale and carefully tuned-in to the need to provide a calm, reassuring and therapeutic environment.

“The hospital Trust are totally committed to delivering the highest quality of care possible from their hospitals and very much hope that the Council are able to support this application which will enable them to do just this.”

Neighbour comments on the plans are welcome until June 4.

There is no date set for a decision.