PLANS have been revealed for a new maternity, children’s, emergency and critical care centre as part of the hospital merger.

The merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Poole Hospital is now less than a month away.

And the two NHS trusts have released a document revealing plans for the new maternity, children’s, emergency and critical care centre (MCEC).

The trusts say the designs meet modern best practice including privacy and dignity, integration of technology and infection control.

Inside the building, the maternity unit’s delivery ward will have 16 birthing rooms, including seven with pools and two for twin births.

Daniel Webster, clinical director for maternity and gynaecology, said: “A new purpose built maternity unit is what we have all wanted for many years.

“Bringing the unit onto the major emergency hospital site, will enable seamless care for patients.

“We have a great team of staff, who are excited about being on the main hospital site to deliver safe, high quality care.”

Located on the top floor, the children’s unit includes two higher dependency beds, an assessment unit and an adolescent area.

There will be kitchen facilities for families to use and a new dedicated “gully’s Place” suite – an area providing privacy and dignity for patients and their families, especially for end of life care.

Karen Fernley, sister at the children’s unit, said: “For transition to home care Gully’s has been a godsend, enabling parents and families to practice often complex care but with reassurance of the staff being nearby.

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“They also have the opportunity to live together as an extended family and together find out what works well, or not, before going home.”

The critical care unit will have capacity for up to 30 beds, seven more than already provided at Poole and RBH combined.

The rooms will have larger areas around the beds for easier access and there will be more single rooms, reducing the infection risk.

Isabel Smith, consultant anaesthetist and transformation lead across RBCH and Poole Hospital, said: “Critical care facilities have been at the frontline in the Covid pandemic.

“Having a brand new, state-of-the-art unit will help the very sickest patients for years to come.

“It will also attract and retain staff who want to work in the modern, effective facilities.”

Finally, the emergency department will be larger than both the existing departments at Poole and RBH.

It will contain imaging facilities including x-ray and CT scan to enable faster patient diagnosis care.

Lee Gray, consultant in emergency medicine, said: “We aspire to provide excellent patient care for all patients of east Dorset in a busy emergency trauma unit.

“Our staff will be proud to work in a state-of-the-art, evidence-based teaching department that will aim to attract and retain the best staff in the country.”

More than £250m will be invested to create the new centre, which will be complete in 2024.