A COMPREHENSIVE review of healthcare provision in Dorset was launched at an event in Bournemouth yesterday.

The Clinical Services Review, described as the largest consultation exercise of its kind in the country, is intended to gather the views of patients and healthcare professionals on how to tackle future challenges.

Held at the Bournemouth International Centre, the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group event included talks from health service managers – including DCCG chair-man Forbes Watson – and a question and answer session.

Dr Watson said: “We want to significantly improve people’s under-standing of how things are now and where they might be if we don’t undertake a review such as this, and encourage them to get involved.

“We are the third largest commissioning group in the country, we cover the whole of Dorset from Lyme Regis to Christchurch. We believe we are the first to have taken on this challenge.”

He said Dorset “generally” delivered very good services, but the trend of inward migration to the county, the rise in the elderly population and also the population of under-20s would present challenges in future.

“If we do nothing and continue as we are at present there will be a funding gap of £167million per year by 2021, it is just not an option.”

Dr Watson told the audience that the review, conducted in partnership with a consultancy firm, would cost around £2.7million – 0.3 per cent of the healthcare budget for the county.

Among the audience was NHS patient and community volunteer Lisa Brooks, of Bear Cross, who said: “It has been very interesting, I certainly think the service could be improved, if you go into hospital on weekends you won’t get seen,” said Ms Brooks.

The first stage of the review is to run until spring next year. The public will then be consulted on proposals.

To ask questions or contribute to the review visit the website dorsetsvision.

nhs.uk for more information, or call 01305 368073.