Former West Dorset council offices to become NHS clinic

South Walks House also houses Dorchester Library

A council building is to be used for NHS clinics in a bid to tackle long waiting lists caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Walks House in Dorchester, owned by Dorset Council, will become a temporary outpatient assessment centre.

Orthopaedic, musculoskeletal and physiotherapy appointments will be held on the ground floor for six months.

The centre is expected to open in the "next few weeks", according to Dorset Council.

The scheme is being led by Dorset County Hospital in partnership with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, Dorset HealthCare, LiveWell Dorset and Active Dorset.

Hospital deputy chief executive Nick Johnson said: "If this initiative proves successful, we would be very keen to continue to run clinics in a town centre location for the convenience of our patients, as well as for the benefit of local businesses by increasing footfall in the high street."

The facility will be staffed by local healthcare teams but volunteers are also being sought to help and guide new patients.

A similar initiative is under way in Poole where the top floor of Beales apartment store is being converted into an NHS outpatients' facility.