Dorset NHS sites set to be sold in services shake-up

Emergency and intensive care services are being expanded at Dorset County Hospital

NHS sites could be sold for housing as part of a county-wide plan to reshape health infrastructure in Dorset.

Health chiefs are drawing up proposals that will bring services together at community hubs.

They include "reconfiguring" services in Weymouth, Dorchester and Sherborne.

Dorset Council's people and health scrutiny committee was told the ideas were in the early stages and would depend on winning government funding.

'Up to £500m'

Councillors at Tuesday's meeting were told the strategy for the Dorset Council area involved land in Weymouth and Sherborne being released for housing.

New or improved facilities are also planned at Forston, near Dorchester, and at Wimborne and Shaftesbury, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

University Hospitals Dorset transformation director Stephen Killen said the changes were the latest phase in a 15-year plan.

He added: "This is an opportunity that will bring a minimum of £350m, and possibly up to £500m, of additional capital across our Dorset system, across 12 community sites."

Work is already under way to build a multi-storey car park at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester to free up land to expand emergency and intensive care services.

Dorset has already undergone a major review of clinical services which has involved Poole Hospital becoming a centre for planned care and Bournemouth becoming an emergency care hospital.