ARMED with thousands of signatures, campaigners have taken the fight to save their local NHS services directly to health bosses.

Today is the final chance to have your say on the controversial shake-up of health services in Dorset and so far, around 60,000 people have signed petitions in protest against the plans.

Dad-of-three Sean Perrin yesterday handed a 23,757-strong online petition and 12,000 written signatures to Save Poole Hospital A&E and Maternity to NHS Dorset CCG’s chief officer Tim Goodson.

The public consultation into its Clinical Services Review closes at midnight tonight.

The CCG has been consulting on its proposals which include designating Royal Bournemouth Hospital as a major emergency centre and Poole as a planned hospital as well as cut the number of community hospitals and create community hubs to deliver care ‘closer to home’.

Sean, 46, said: “There is a lot of worry and deep concerns about these proposals in Dorset.

“We believe A&E and maternity units at Poole Hospital are essential and that lives will be risked if RBH becomes the major emergency hospital.

“It is so vital as many people as possible speak out before they lose something without realising. Now we need people to get their voices heard before the deadline this evening.”

As previously reported, if preferred proposals went ahead, Poole Hospital’s A&E would be replaced by an urgent care centre staffed by GPs and nurses. No ‘blue light’ ambulances would go to Poole and there would no longer be any emergency inpatient services on site. Maternity and paediatric services as well as other emergency specialities such as trauma, orthopaedics and cardiology would be moved to the major emergency centre in Bournemouth.

Instead, Poole would become the county’s major planned care hospital providing outpatient services, diagnostic services, ambulatory care and routine elective procedures as well as being developed as a ‘community hub with beds’ to provide a range of community services.

Tim Goodson said: “The petitions will now be sent to Opinion Research Services (ORS) so that they can be considered as part of the analysis of responses to the consultation. This analysis will be included in the report to the CCG’s governing body. This will be considered by the Governing Body when making its final decision.

“We understand that people are passionate about their local services, and with just one day left before the consultation closes we want to remind people not to miss the opportunity to have their say on these proposals. Whether you agree or disagree, please make sure you get involved by visiting www.dorsetsvision.nhs.uk where you have until midnight on Tuesday, February 28 to fill out and submit your online questionnaire.”

Go to csr.dorsetsvision.nhs.uk to have your say.