A PRIVATE cardiology centre has opened within Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

The luxury Dorset Heart Clinic is a partnership between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (RBCH) and independent company Regent’s Park Healthcare. The trust said it aims to give patients greater choice and respond to the growing demand for private cardiology services.

The clinic will provide extra income to support NHS care at RBH. As previously reported Bournemouth Private Clinic (BPC) was opened within the hospital by Eddie Howe in March.

Tony Spotswood, chief executive officer of RBCH, said: “I believe this venture is a win-win for all.

“It will mean private patients are assured of world-class specialist care and the very highest standards of service, together with the confidence of being in the NHS with its safety net of resources on hand. It will allow cardiologists to remain within our hospital to support the NHS, and to work with staff they know. It will also mean the Trust can repatriate income from private hospitals and re-invest these monies back into frontline NHS care.”

He added: “We have a fantastic team within our Cardiology Department supporting the Dorset Heart Clinic and a proud heritage of delivering innovative cardiology solutions at the Royal Bournemouth.”

The Dorset Heart Clinic is led by a team of 10 consultant cardiologists from RBH. It provides a range of outpatient and invasive cardiology services. The outpatient clinic is located on the first floor of the Jigsaw building and the inpatient area, called the Regent’s Park Suite is in an annex of Ward 23 which has luxury ensuite rooms.

Dr Ohri, chief executive officer of Regent’s Park Healthcare, said: “This is a very exciting time for all of us. It is the culmination of many months of careful planning and a tribute to the successful working relationship between the Trust, the cardiologists and our company.

“We feel privileged to be opening the Dorset Heart Clinic and to be working so closely with the highly dedicated staff and management at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. We believe there is a large market gap for safe, high quality, private cardiology services across the region. It is a gap we intend to fill and grow rapidly in the years ahead.”