CAMPAIGNERS fighting for services at Dorset County Hospital have said the public need to make themselves heard after health chiefs confirmed Bournemouth as their preferred location for the county's major emergency centre.

But people in west Dorset fear this will put lives at risk.

Protestors gathered ahead of a meeting of the governing body of the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) at which members gave backing for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital to be the major emergency site in a move that would see Poole designated a major planned centre and potentially save £30 million.

The CCG stressed that the decision was still subject to consultation and would not be finalised until next year.

Campaigners in west Dorset fear that they may be forced to travel all the way to Bournemouth for some services if it is confirmed as the major emergency centre and they have still not received any news on proposals for the future of maternity and paediatric services in Dorchester.

Former Bridport and West Dorset District councillor David Tett is a governor of the hospital.

He said: "Although the proposals of the Dorset Clinical Commission Group have yet to be consulted upon, it seems to me that a decision to transfer certain of the services to the east of the county has been done and dusted, including possibly paediatrics and maternity services.

"While I accept that the NHS is in trying and challenging times,I do not consider that transferring these services to Bournemouth is in the best interests of those living in west Dorset. On the contrary, it could have a reverse effect in putting life at risk where the time factor is of paramount importance.

"I actually believe that the envisaged annual saving in costs of £30 million is being put before the health and safety of the public".

Cllr Ros Kayes thinks that moving higher level emergency care to Bournemouth would be a "disaster" for the west of the county and will make residents "second class citizens".

The CCG's assistant clinical chair Dr Karen Kirkham said: "There is a lot of work going on and discussions taking place to try and resolve that."

She insisted that Dorset County Hospital was still a "pivotal provider" of services in the west of Dorset and governors were told that 95 to 97 per cent of admissions that currently go to Dorchester would still go to the hospital under the new proposed model of care for the acute hospitals.

Naomi Patterson, whose son George regularly requires treatment at Dorset County Hospital's Kingfisher Ward, said that the number of people present at the demonstration before the meeting showed how strongly people felt about the issue and there were still concerns that people would be forced to travel across the county for treatment.