Portland Hospital will become a healthcare 'hub' and will not gets its beds back, it has been confirmed.

The future of the island site as a provider for healthcare services and also the shortage of nurses locally was discussed in a meeting with Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

It comes after campaigners gathered around the hospital last month to protest against its potential closure.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax was joined by the new CEO of Dorset Healthcare University NHS Trust, Eugine Yafele, in the meeting with Mr Hancock.

Mr Drax said: “In meeting the Secretary of State, I was fulfilling a long-standing commitment to my constituents on Portland that the future of this precious hospital would be a priority.

“I am pleased to hear from Mr Yafele and the Health Secretary that the future of Portland Hospital is not in doubt and that it will be used as a permanent hub for healthcare services on the island.”

Last August, 16 beds from Portland Hospital were transferred to Weymouth’s Westhaven Hospital due to difficulties in finding enough qualified nursing staff.

Mr Drax added: “Mr Yafele and I also asked the Health Secretary urgently to address the problem of the nursing shortage, which necessitated the closure of the Portland Hospital beds.

“Certainly, with a shortage of 40,000 nurses, many Trusts are finding recruitment difficult. Mr Yafele has noted a decline in nursing student applicants since bursaries were ended and pension rules have meant that older, more experienced staff are retiring too early.”

Mr Yafele said: “I am confident that by working with people on Portland, we will develop the hospital site to become a thriving health and wellbeing hub with a range of services that are much needed on the island. The hospital beds will not be reopened but the bringing together of services on the hospital site signals our commitment to retaining and developing the site for the benefit of local people.”

Mr Drax added: “The Health Secretary expects more funding to be committed to nursing in the upcoming spending review and the NHS Workforce Implementation Plan should be announced next month. He also said he is working with the Treasury to review pension rules.

“I am delighted to know that Portland Hospital will be the focus for the island’s healthcare. We are all agreed that good health and social care services are vital to Portland’s future and the community hospital has a crucial role to play.”