THE FORMAL merger of Royal Bournemouth and Poole hospital trusts has been set for July next year - but patients will have to wait six years to see all the benefits.

The news was announced by the Trusts' joint CEO Debbie Fleming who said that to facilitate the move a shadow board will be appointed from December 1, with non executive directors appointed this month, executive directors in November and a joint finance director had already been appointed.

"July 2020 is when we think we can finish all the work we have to do so we can get the merger finalised," she said. "The shadow board will be the organisation that starts doing all the strategic work."

Despite this, and the fact that planning permission has been granted, however, work on Poole's much-needed new operating theatres will not begin until the end of next year.

The joint Trust is awaiting confirmation of its outline business case which will enable it to draw down £147 million of new NHS money to facilitate Poole becoming the area's planned care hospital, with Bournemouth majoring in paediatric, maternity and serious emergency care, she said.

It is also awaiting planning permission from BCP Council for its proposed new block at Royal Bournemouth and the outcome of the Independent Panel Review into the merger process.

"We know the Independent Review Panel's decision will come at any time," said Ms Fleming.

"I’m not worried about that because I believe that the Clinical Commissioning Group and its partners followed a very robust process in taking their decision."

One factor in the controversial process - which has seen a sustained campaign by various groups against the idea of Poole losing its maternity care and full A&E facility - has been the environmental impact of the new facilities.

It has been suggested that ambulances will rack up more journey times and more pollution at a time when BCP Council has declared a climate emergency.

Ms Fleming said the service changes would see: "Fewer ambulance journeys as people will be taken to the right place rather than being held in one hospital while we wait for a bed in the other.

"We are thinking about congestion and we know it's something our staff are aware of. We want to look at how we can all use our resources to the best effect, from cycling to walking to public transport and car-shares.

"Most people living locally are used to using the two hospitals. If you need planned care, the vast majority of times you'll go to Poole, if you need cardiac intervention you'll go to Bournemouth. Local people use both sites and they'll continue to do that in the future, just for different things."