POOLE councillors have delivered a devastating verdict on proposals to merge their town's A&E and maternity services with those in Bournemouth.

In a hard-hitting letter to Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, the Health Scrutiny Committee voiced concern about controversial travel times, the 'serious impact' of moving maternity services from Poole to Bournemouth and said this service should remain in Poole.

However, it reserved its most damning comment for the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, which is driving the merger, and has produced a report claiming the additional travel time from the west of the county wouldn't have a significant impact, saying: "This (DCCG's) study and its outcomes have not been evaluated independently by experts beyond Dorset NHS partners."

The council committee said Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group had not considered the effect that planned development in the Poole area would have on travel times relating to the proposal to merge A&E and maternity services in Bournemouth.

"Analysis of travel times and related issues, such as congestion, does not take into account key aspects of Poole's local plan," said the letter.

"As a consequence there is concern that the analysis and its outcomes are not valid in the longer term."

It is also concerned about the consequences of moving maternity services to the east of the county.

"When the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group made the decision in September 2017 to relocate maternity services to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, NHS leaders informed Poole councillors that serious and detailed consideration would be given to locating a midwife-led maternity provision at Poole Hospital," it said.

"At the meeting on 17th December, the chair particularly asked for further information regarding maternity service provision at Poole Hospital.

"No facility or provision was offered by the CCG.

"NHS leaders confirmed that all maternity services will be located at Royal Bournemouth Hospital. This decision means that Poole parents' choice and access to maternity services will be detrimentally impacted by the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group's decisions."

It said that whilst councillors welcomed the substantial funds to build the new Bournemouth-based maternity facilities, the evidence they had seen showed that: "Poole should be the preferred site for maternity services as part of a Major Emergency Hospital."