When I speak with local people across South Dorset, one message that comes across loud and clear is that nothing matters more than the health of our NHS. After years of neglect and under-investment under the previous Conservative Government, our local NHS desperately needed major reform and fresh investment.
So I’m pleased that we are now seeing significant investment reach every corner of the county. At Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, this Labour Government has delivered a record £100 million of new investment to transform emergency care. With this investment in place, a brand-new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit is being built at Dorset County Hospital. This summer, I enjoyed visiting these new facilities, which are nearing completion and due to open in 2027.
When completed, the major rebuild at Dorset County Hospital will speed up patient flow and also help to cut ambulance response times across the county. Crucially, this investment will also deliver a dedicated mental health crisis assessment space right alongside the Emergency Department – giving patients in severe distress specialist support in a safe environment.
Alongside emergency care, we are backing mental health services across Dorset. This summer saw the opening of two brand-new, state-of-the-art facilities: Chaddesley House at St Ann’s Hospital in Poole and Seastone in Bournemouth.
Backed with more than £40 million of new investment from this Labour Government, these facilities are a genuine game-changer. The new Seastone facility in Bournemouth offers dedicated care for young people facing severe, complex challenges. Chaddesley House expands the number of adult bed spaces for patients with acute mental health challenges.
Most importantly, these new facilities mean that more local families will no longer see loved ones sent hundreds of miles away to access specialised care. It was a privilege to visit both new facilities earlier this summer. They will make a real difference to health outcomes across Dorset.
GPs and community hospitals
Equally vital is shifting clinics and key services closer to where patients actually live. I have long argued that our community hospitals should be firing on all cylinders, rather than forcing patients to travel further and further up the road to access healthcare. At Weymouth Community Hospital, the Community Diagnostic Centre has significantly expanded its opening hours in recent months. This means that more local people can now access tests, scans and routine checks nearby, cutting waiting lists and saving a long trip to Dorset County Hospital.
Looking ahead, it’s critical that we continue to shift services back into a community hospital setting wherever possible. I know that in our part of the world this will help to boost health outcomes and ensure that more patients can easily access important appointments and clinics.
However, brand-new facilities only work if patients can get an appointment with a GP in the first place! That is why I am continuing to make the case for expanding GP services across South Dorset. In Chickerell, local people have waited far too long for good-quality GP services, often having to travel miles simply to see a doctor. Alongside doctors and patients, I have been campaigning night and day to finally deliver a brand-new GP surgery based in Chickerell. A dedicated GP surgery will give Chickerell the care it deserves, while taking the pressure off neighbouring GP surgeries.
There is still plenty of work to do to rebuild our NHS. But I’m pleased that this Labour Government is delivering the investment we need in Dorset to fix it. Up in Westminster, I will continue banging the drum for Dorset’s NHS, so local people get the first-class healthcare they deserve!
Lloyd Hatton MP
for South Dorset
