POOLE Hospital will be hosting an open day at the weekend.

The x-ray department, pathology laboratories, operating theatres, physio gymnasium and pharmacy are the latest services to invite the public along on Saturday. (Sept 14)

Deputy chief operating officer Jacqueline Coles said: "With just days to go until our open day, staff are really excited to be able to showcase their services

"We’re delighted to be able to offer the most comprehensive look behind the scenes ever at the hospital, with more services represented than ever before.

"We look forward to welcoming as many visitors as possible and giving them an insight into our wide range of services, career opportunities and how a busy hospital runs."

With a family-friendly theme, visitors also have the chance to explore emergency services vehicles, have their faces painted and take part in simulated medical emergencies.

The hospital's nuclear medicine team is even offering visitors the chance to detect radioactive ‘spider bites’ on a life size Spiderman using a Geiger-counter.

Under the controversial shake-up of healthcare services in Dorset, Poole Hospital will lose its accident and emergency department, being downgraded to an urgent treatment centre in 2023 with a more specialised A&E centre developed at The Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

On the looming open day, a Poole Hospital spokesman said: "Visitors will also be able to see how the hospital will look in the coming years and discover more about the wide range of services that will be offered, including all-new planned surgical procedures, and how the urgent care centre will care for many of the conditions the existing emergency department treats now."

Health advice and basic health checks will also be available, as well as a chance to meet the teams behind a wide range of services that support urgent and planned care at Poole Hospital.

The Caring Canines charity, which regularly bring in dogs to cheer up patients in hospital, will also be bringing one of their four-legged friends along.

Poole Hospital's open day runs from 10am-2pm.

Visit poole.nhs.uk/ or follow @poole_hospital on Twitter for further information.