MORE people will die waiting for ambulances if controversial plans to close Poole Hospital’s A&E are given the green light, a leading Poole councillor fears.

Vikki Slade, speaking after the Daily Echo highlighted the tragic case of Leonard Smith - who was found dead by paramedics after a call was made for an ambulance SEVEN HOURS earlier - said: “The demand for 999 ambulances will go up if proposals to close Poole’s accident and emergency go through. Consequently, we’re going to lose people.”

Cllr Slade, who fought a losing battle to represent the Mid-Dorset & North Poole constituency at the general election earlier this month, is among Borough of Poole (BOP) councillors set to vote on the hospital issue tonight.

Members are set to recommend Poole Hospital is retained as the county’s main emergency facility - a stance that would put them at odds with Dorset’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) bosses.

CCG chiefs have already stated their preference is for the Royal Bournemouth to become the main A&E provider with Poole Hospital a centre for planned care.

Leonard Smith died in the early hours of Boxing Day, an inquest heard last week. A member of the Careline team called 999 at 12.50am after Mr Smith activated his alarm, but a rapid response vehicle did not arrive at Mr Smith’s home in East Borough, Wimborne, until 8.17am.

The inquest heard that upon arrival the paramedic found Mr Smith dead on his bathroom floor.

Coroner Rachel Griffin said it was not possible to say whether Mr Smith would have survived if he had received treatment earlier, she did say it was “disappointing and frustrating” that no call was made to Mr Smith after 1.24am.

Cllr Slade said: “Women in labour who are forced to travel a lot further to hospital will call 999. And parents of small children, who suspect something is critically wrong with them won’t be driving them to hospital if it is too far away. Whereas at the moment parents would bundle their children into their cars and run down to Poole, if the A&E is further away they will call 999.“I’m concerned we’re going to have more cases like this (Leonard Smith), more cases where people will die purely because more people will be making higher demands on the ambulance service.

“Because people will be frightened that they won’t be able to get to hospital on time, the demand for 999 will increase.

“Consequently, these sort of cases will be put to the bottom of the pile and we’ll start losing people.”

“It is an absolute tragedy for him and his family - particularly as he was so close to an ambulance station and a hospital.

It is just shocking really.”