12/04/2026
Minutes of the meeting Wednesday 8th April, 2026 - 2.30pm at The Spire, Poole
A Presentation hosted by Parkstone Bay Residents Association Presented by University Hospital Bournemouth(UHB) outlining the changes to Royal Bournemouth and Poole Hospital sites.
Presented by Jamie Donald (Associate Director)
Karen Smith (Senior Charity Manager) and
Gregg Allen (Transformation Communications Assistant)
PRESENT
Mike Randall (Joint chairman PBA), James Wallace-Hadrill (Joint Chairman PBA and Treasurer), Pauline Godwin (PBA Secretary),
Andy Goldsmith (Committee Member) Lorraine Sherrin (Committee Member) Ken Lynch (Committee Member)
BCP Councillors Emily Harman, Sue Aitkenhead, Mark Howell, Crispin Goodall
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP for Poole
Councillor Andy Hadley
Mr David Rowe (Committee Member)
The meeting was attended by over 50 residents and began promptly at 2.30 pm with a brief introduction from Mike Randall (Joint Chair of PBA).
There was a brief unexpected address to the audience from representatives of 'Citizens Advice Bureau' and 'Live Well Dorset' who took the opportunity of addressing this gathering of local residents to advertise their services.
They will be parked outside the Spire every second week of the month (next meeting 13th May) for the purpose of giving advice on Energy Problems (CAB) and Health MOT’s for 40 to 74 age groups)(LWD)
On-line pre-booking for these services can be arranged on relevant websites.
University Hospital Dorset began their presentation with an Introduction by Jamie Donald who explained that meetings such as this with local residents were helpful to the NHS for the purpose of forward planning, especially as some of the existing planned changes had been delayed by late completion of the The Coast Building situated at RBH site.
The Coast Building will house the kitchens for the whole hospital and so it is the engine room of the RBH site. It will also contain another 110 additional hospital beds when completed and is essential to the planned changes. The problem is a construction one and projected completion of this building is now Dec - March/April 2027 or later.
He then outlined some of the changes which have already happened.
St.Mary’s Maternity Hospital Poole has now closed and relocated its services to the Beach Building at RBH which now specialises in Maternity care and will eventually take over care of all children’s services.
However, at present the Children’s in-patient wards are still based at Poole Hospital, scheduled to move to RBH eventually.
St. Mary’s is now a specialist diagnostic centre.
Stroke care and Cardiology are already based at RBH and in future South West Ambulance Service will take patients directly to these specialist units.
Poole Hospital will become a Planned Care hospital for pre arranged surgery such as replacement knees, hips, and all other non life threatening procedures.
It will be the largest such hospital in the UK and will have huge operating facilities called Barn Operating Theatres, facilitating 4 operations at one time.
Poole Hospital will also house a newly built Endoscopy Unit opening later this year. Again the largest in the country.
Poole Hospital is not going to be diminished at all and there had been a huge investment in its upgrade.
There is a misconception that Poole will no longer be available for emergency treatment, but it will have an Urgent Treatment Centre for dealing with injuries such as sprains, breaks and non-life threatening injuries.
Life threatening illnesses or injuries will go directly to RBH.
It was an upbeat and enthusiastic report about the improvements made so far and it was said the most important part of the whole system was the people involved.
10,000 skilled people staff the hospital and the plan is to attract the top calibre staff and as a teaching hospital train people for the future.
Karen Smith then explained why RBS need to make money for their charity. The NHS have provided the funds for the state of the art hospital equipment, but RBS want to provide extra luxuries for their patients.
One project is a garden for patients where they can get out and enjoy fresh air or meet with visitors in a quiet location. Also a separate area for staff to relax on their break period as most work 12 hour shifts.
Another project is a play area for children and to provide a ‘sensory trolley’ which costs (£15,000), plus others to have on the wards costing (£25,000 each).
Schooling is provided by the Government for long term child patients, but provided by the charity, based at Poole Hospital is Gully’s Place which provides long term palliative care for sick children with facilities for their families.
It is hoped to raise sufficient funds for Walkerbots which help stroke patients to walk again.
She concluded by saying any donations would be used for the specific areas of care in which the donors were interested,
QUESTIONS WERE THEN TAKEN FROM THE FLOOR.
Q1. - Mike Randall pointed out the difficulty for Poole and Parkstone people of getting to Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) by bus for treatment, appointments or to visit patients in hospital.
The M1 bus takes a circuitous route stopping many times and it takes one and a quarter to one and a half hours from Poole bus station to RBH and a similar time to return which was very onerous, especially for the elderly.
PBA have contacted More bus but have so far received no reply.
The ideal would be a dedicated shuttle bus like the one operated for NHS staff, so what can be done to help the situation?
ANSWER - UHB are very aware that easy access to the RBH is essential and transport to and from the hospital is being considered as a priority by Richard Renault, UHB Strategy Officer.
A long discussion ensued with members of the audience and Councillor Aitkenhead stated that finance was at the basis of the issue but BCP Council were unable to assist because of lack of funds.
Q2. How will Enhanced Post Operative Care at Poole be staffed?
Would there be a resident Cardiologist on site? If not how would a cardiology emergency be dealt with?
ANSWER - There will be no Cardiologist based at Poole.
In the case of a cardiology emergency the patient would be ambulances to RBH in the care of very skilled and highly-trained ambulance personnel.
The cancer unit will be staying in Poole for outpatient appointments for chemotherapy and Radiotherapy
But the Cancer in-patients ward would be based at Bournemouth.
Q3 - With the increase in size of RBH what was being planned to increase parking as it was already a nightmare.
ANSWER - An area of land called Wessex Fields has just been purchased and there were plans for a new multi-storey car park to be built.
Q4. What was being done to help Blue Badge holders to park more easily.
ANSWER - More Blue Badge parking spaces were to be provided very soon.
Q5 - Regarding transport in general what was being considered to ease congestion across east Wessex?
Could there not be a more creative system incorporating South West Trains?
ANSWER - Many ideas have been put forward including Park and Ride, Water Taxis, Trains and shuttle buses, but this is a problem that can only be cured by a joint consultation between Government, BCP Council and UHD. There is no short term answer to road congestion..
Councillor Howell spoke on behalf of BCP and said there had been lots of initiatives proposed by Councillor Andy Hadley, including reintroducing park and ride, but lack of funds was the blocking point.
Q6. Would it be possible to go back to a system of ‘Volunteer Drivers”?
ANSWER -The Red Cross already operate such a system and Poole and Bournemouth have ‘Dial a Bus’ - details of which can be found on BCP’s website.
Q.7 - Why has Coast Building been delayed?
ANSWER - it is a very complex building delivering fresh air/water etc to all areas and it has been discovered that the conduits used internally were too small for the job. New conduits are now being installed.
Q8. How will you produce a One Step To Go information system.
ANSWER - This is a pan-Dorset project and it needs to be compiled in conjunction with all areas.
Q9 - Would it be possible to speak to South Today programme and give out information on tv.
ANSWER - When whole project is completed that is very likely to happen, but at present things are likely to change.
However, events such as the opening of the new Endoscopy Unit will be fully publicised and have a much advertised opening ceremony.
Q10. Is there anything that can be done about ‘bed blockers’?
Is it possible to have a Cottage Hospital system for recuperation?
ANSWER - this is indeed a problem the NHS are aware of and it needs addressing. Currently it is the relatives of patients who are asked to find alternative methods of helping patients who no longer need to be in hospital.
Q11. - Is there no way the existing shuttle buses used by Chase Manhattan Bank and Jacob Morgan could fill their empty seats with people wishing to visit RBH.
ANSWER - There was no conclusive answer. Much discussion ensued but no positive result ensued.
Mike Randall closed the meeting at 3.30 after a lengthy discussion of all the issues raised.
He thanked UHD for their informative presentation and hoped all present had learned something from this meeting.
He added that PBA were working for our local community and would continue to raise issues of public concern
He also reiterated that PBA do not charge a membership fee and that public meetings such as this cost money so any voluntary contributions would be very welcome.
