Health bosses have today voted unanimously to close Poole Hospital A&E, maternity and paediatrics departments.

Dorset CCG governing body has agreed to make Royal Bournemouth Hospital the major emergency hub for the east of the county leaving Poole Hospital for planned care with a 24/7 urgent care centre.

The news comes despite angry protests outside the D-Day meeting in Dorchester and 75,570 signatures against the controversial Clinical Services Review proposals.

More than 150 packed into the decision meeting at Dorford Centre, Dorchester to hear St Leonards Community Hospital in Ferndown will close and other community hospitals in the county will lose beds as part of a shake up of how care is provided in the community.

This includes Wareham Hospital which will become a community hub without beds.

Christchurch Hospital will be a community hub without beds while community hubs with beds include Swanage, Wimborne, Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital.

Meanwhile the future remains uncertain at Alderney Hospital pending a further review on dementia care.

The controversial Clinical Services Review and its radical plans was launched in May 2015 in a bid to plug a projected funding shortfall of £158m by 2021.

Dorset will receive £148m national funding to make the changes which are expected to be implemented within five years.

The CEOs from the hospital's three acute hospitals all attended the meeting.

Dorset CCG chair Forbes Watson said: "Today is a very important day for the history of the NHS in Dorset. It is a real watershed moment after months and years of consideration.

"We see this as the end of the beginning not the beginning of the end and we will continue with the same enthusiasm to provide the best care to patients."

Protesters from various campaign groups gathered outside the meeting where the CCG hired three security guards were present to ensure public safety.

Cries of 'Save Our NHS' rang out before the meeting with residents concerned over patient safety due to increased travel times.

Damien Stone of Keep Our NHS Public said: "I genuinely think this is going to be a disaster. We are utterly convinced if you close hospitals, cut beds and make people travel further, it will jeopardise patient care not improve it.

"This is all about cuts at the end of the day and signs of how the NHS is completely stretched to breaking point."

Decisions were also made on the future of mental health care in the region. Members voted unanimously to commission an additional 16 beds, four at Forston Clinic and 12 at St Ann's Hospital.

Meanwhile 15 beds at the Linden Unit in Weymouth will be relocated to St Ann's Hospital before the closure of the Linden Unit.