Bridport: Residents urged to have their say on hospital cuts (From Thisisdorset)

Bridport: Residents urged to have their say on hospital cuts

10:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Latest By James Tourgout

PEOPLE in Lyme Regis are being urged to throw their weight behind the fight to stop the cuts at Bridport Hospital.

Campaigners are calling on residents to attend a public meeting today at Bridport Arts Centre from 9am to 12.30pm.

It comes amid proposals to cut some outpatient clinics, day surgery and radiography at the hospital.

The Community Health Campaign (CHC) and the Bridport Area 50 Plus groups are among those in the vanguard of the fight.

Coun Ros Kayes, from the CHC, recently held a surgery in Lyme Regis about the cuts.

She said that it went very well and that four new volunteers from Lyme Regis have signed up.

Now the campaign is hoping to step up its petition against the cuts and survey about the potential impact in the Lyme Regis area.

She urged people to attend the public meeting to show the strength of feeling in the area.

She said: “This is the only community consultation they are doing so people must attend.

“There is a risk that they are going to remove all operations involving general anaesthesia.

“This would severely reduce the viability of the theatre and could have implications for the jobs of ancilliary staff. “It is imperative that people attend and get their voices heard.”

There are also concerns for the Hughes mental health unit at the hospital.

She added: “The changes they are proposing are not minor although they are being billed as such.

“The threat to the Hughes Unit also has implications for the viability of overnight stays in the hospital – as well as for the well being of patients.”

NHS Dorset has called the meeting to address concerns that the Dorset County Hospital NHS Trust is withdrawing the outpatients, day surgery and x-ray from the hospital.

Campaigners have collected 11,000 names on a petition again-st the cuts.

For anyone needing special requirements to attend the meeting can email communications@ dorset-pct.nhs.uk or call 01305 368928.