BOSSES of The Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital Trusts have outlined the benefits of the proposed merger in a detailed new document.

It follows concerns expressed in a provisional report by the Competition Commission in July, that it would result in a loss of choice for patients across “a large number of overlapping services”.

Now the two trusts have set out to prove that the benefits of the merger outweigh the loss of choice for patients.

Chris Bown, chief executive at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Helen Lingham, deputy chief executive at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have set out further to the Competition Commission possible options for the clinical benefits of merger.

“Our reasons for wanting to bring two high performing hospital trusts together is to ensure that we continue to provide safe, high quality services to our patients with better clinical outcomes and meet the demands facing the NHS.

“We are confident that the benefits of merger outweigh the CC's concerns about the reduction in choice for patients.”

In an eight-page document, it explains how the merger would allow them to meet growing demands to improve quality of care without the need for additional funding or hiring additional staff “which would be better for patients and for taxpayers”.

The key clinical benefits would be A&E, emergency surgery, cardiology, maternity and haematology.

A spokesman for the CC said they are now keen to hear the views of local residents and will be holding a drop-in session at Parkstone Baptist Church Hall, 10 Loch Road, Poole, on September 5 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

“The views of local residents are important to us so do please pop in at anytime on this day and you can talk to one of the investigating team – in confidence if you wish.”

To see the full report visit www.competition-commission.org.uk/our-work/directory-of-allinquiries/royal-bournemouth-and-christchurch-poole.