Campaign to halt Poole Hospital A&E unit closure plans

Under the plans Poole Hospital would specialise in planned operations

People in Poole have started a petition to fight proposals to close their hospital's A&E trauma unit.

NHS bosses are considering making the Royal Bournemouth Hospital the main centre for emergency care as part of efforts to save money.

Poole resident Sean Perrin, who began the petition, said: "This is all about profit before people - if they do this we are going to see lives lost."

NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) predicts a £150m deficit by 2021.

Under the plans Poole, along with Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, would retain an A&E department but major emergencies would go to Bournemouth.

'Fight to end'

Mr Perrin said he started the petition to raise concerns over the "inadequate" transport infrastructure between Poole and Bournemouth, which he argued could put people in rural areas "at risk".

He said: "We're not just going to sit back and let this happen we're going to fight to the bitter end."

More than 4,350 people have signed the petition to date.

The CCG, said the choice of Bournemouth would be more than £40m cheaper than the alternative option of Poole, which had also been in the running to be named the preferred A&E site.

Poole is now set to specialise in planned operations.

NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will consider the recommendation at a meeting on 18 May.

The group set out its plans to reorganise services last year.

A final decision is expected in 2017.