MEMBERS of the campaign group Defend Dorset NHS travelled to London this morning to attend the full hearing of their judicial review of Dorset Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) proposal to reforming NHS services in Dorset.

The campaigners oppose the CCG’s proposed reorganisation, which is aimed at avoiding a projected funding shortfall, estimated to be at least £158m a year by 2021, which will see the closure of five of 13 community hospitals across Dorset - including one on Portland and in Wareham, as well as that of Poole’s Accident and Emergency department.

Defend NHS Dorset claim the plans will leave tens of thousands of Dorset residents and over a million visitors without access to A&E and maternity services within the ‘golden hour’, and will lead to the lives of many patients being put unnecessarily at risk.

The hearing is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand and is expected to take two days.