‘Busy weekend’ for the development of UHD
The next stage of the major development around University Hospitals Dorset begins over the weekend of 30 July to 2 August leading to new access plans at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and temporary road closures at the Poole Hospital site.
The transformation works are part of a major reorganisation of services across the county which will see Royal Bournemouth Hospital becoming the centre for emergency care, with Poole Hospital becoming the main centre for planned treatment in east Dorset – all designed to improve patient care and save lives.
At Royal Bournemouth Hospital, from 2 August new access arrangements will be in place as part of the major construction project to create the new maternity, children’s, emergency, and critical care centre on the site. From that date the current main entrance will close with a new upgraded west entrance opened as well as a new retail pharmacy and orthopaedics outpatients on site. Linked to the development, a comprehensive information campaign has been developed including an updated site map to showcase the changes.
At Poole Hospital, a small section of Longfleet Road will be closed from 30 July to 2 August to allow for the installation of a new 50m tower crane ahead of the construction of the new theatre complex. The closure has been coordinated with BCP Council’s highways department, traffic management specialists, the emergency services, and teams across the hospital to maintain the best traffic and pedestrian access as possible. Diversions will be in place for through traffic, with hospital access for ambulances and pedestrians maintained over the weekend.
Commenting on the plans for the weekend, Richard Renaut, UHD chief strategy and transformation officer said:
“This is an exciting time for University Hospitals Dorset as we start the next stage in our major transformation programme which will modernise and develop our sites so that they are fit-for-purpose for their longer-term future.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience that the busy weekend of diversions and changes to our entrances will cause - we are working closely with our contractors and Council partners to ensure disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. “
Stuart Groom, project manager, Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the trust’s principal contractor, added:
“Starting next phase of the construction programme is an important milestone for the transformation project and we look forward to continuing our productive partnership with UHD over the coming months.”
Overall, the £250m investment is the largest commitment of healthcare funding in Dorset’s history, representing a once-in-a-generation investment towards future healthcare provision for the whole of the Dorset and surrounding areas.
The updated RBH site map can be found here: www.uhd.nhs.uk/visit/finding-your-way
The BCP Council traffic notice for Longfleet Rd can be found here: https://one.network/?tm=GB122380705
More information on UHD’s future plans can be found here: www.uhd.nhs.uk/about-us/future
