A SINGLE Dorset cancer service would be created to serve all three major hospitals in a bid to streamline care.

It comes as part of plans to encourage teams delivering the same care in nine key clinical areas to instead work closer together across all hospitals.

Dorset CCG said the county currently has three different cancer providers which in some cases provide the same services.

They say as a result care can be disjointed for patients and some services are becoming ‘unsustainable’ due to workforce shortages.

The public consultation document was unclear over the future plans for cancer care however Dorset CCG later clarified the proposals would mean that:

*Dorset County Hospital, as a planned care and emergency hospital, would continue to provide surgical treatment and chemotherapy with the addition of radiotherapy.

*Poole Hospital as the major planned care hospital would provide low risk treatment for cancer patients including surgery and chemotherapy. It would also continue to provide radiotherapy until the change date for the equipment when it will be reviewed subject to the outcome of the consultation.

*Royal Bournemouth Hospital, proposed as the major emergency hospital, would provide emergency and critical care. This will include stem cell transplants and more complicated haematological procedures, provision of an acute oncology assessment unit and service and high risk cancer surgery.

A spokesman said: “The result of one single Dorset Cancer Service should be improved patient experience with seamless care, better communication between workforce and patients, improved quality of care and care where possible closer to home.”