HEALTH chiefs have confirmed Bournemouth as their preferred location for the county's new major emergency hospital despite passionate protests from campaigners from Poole.

Demonstrators gathered ahead of a meeting of the governing body of the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) at which members gave backing for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital to be the major emergency site in a move that would see Poole designated a major planned centre.

The CCG stressed that the decision was still subject to consultation and would not be finalised until next year.

Dozens of protestors gathered outside the CCG's offices in Dorchester ahead of the meeting, including many who had travelled from Poole to make themselves heard.

Poole Hospital campaigner Sean Perrin said the number of people who had made the journey to voice their objections, as well as the thousands who had backed the various petitions calling for services to stay in the town, showed just how strongly people felt about the issue.

He said: “Noone disagrees that they need to do something, it’s just what they are doing.

“They are putting people’s lives at risk, they are not thinking of the community.”

Mr Perrin said it was now the community’s responsibility to make its opposition to the proposals known, especially when they go out to public consultation.

He said: “It’s up to people to raise awareness.”

At the governing body meeting Dr Kirkham said the new model for acute care had been drawn up following extensive consultation with clinicians and the public as the ageing population and increasingly complex health needs of the county meant health services faced a potential shortfall of an estimated £158million by 2020/21.

She said: "We need to spend the money we have more effectively.

"Staying the same is not an option."

Dr Kirkham added: "We believe there should be one large major emergency hospital in the east of the county with more consultants available more of the time to deal with urgent and emergency care.

"By specialising in this way we believe can improve the outcomes for patients and save lives."

She said that Poole and Bournemouth had both been evaluated extensively and Bournemouth had been selected as the preferred option due to its accessibility and affordability.

The governors were told that the proposals would also see a new maternity suite built at Bournemouth.

Dr Kirkham said that the impact on staff of relocating services "cannot be underestimated".

The CCG's proposals will now go through an assurance process before a 12-week public consultation period, which will not be before September.

Following the meeting Mr Perrin said that he had expected the decision to be passed through but he said at least the campaigners had shown to the CCG how strongly they felt about the issue.

He said: “It was pretty much a done deal but I think we have done what we set out to do.”