A MOTHER of eight is backing our campaign for paediatric services at Dorset County Hospital to be safeguarded.

As revealed by the Echo last week, as part of the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Clinical Services Review, it is recommended that children who have serious illnesses or need long-term care would have to go to the east of the county.

There would also be just one special care baby unit - again, in the east of the county.

It is recommended that instead of being admitted to hospital ‘the care of children could be delivered in a different and more effective way.’ The Dorset CCG says no decision has yet been made of the future of paediatric services and the Kingfisher Ward in particular.

Miranda Jones has spoken out about her positive experience at the Kingfisher Ward at Dorset County Hospital and labelled any potential closure of the ward as 'a backwards step'.

Mrs Jones took her youngest two children to Dorchester last week, and said she couldn't imagine having to travel any further.

"I rang my GP and he told me to go straight to the children's ward with my one-year-old and my three-year-old," she said.

"If I had been forced to go to Exeter, it would have been an absolute nightmare.

"The care and service in Dorchester was absolutely brilliant. They were back in touch with me and my husband several times during the week. The after care was fantastic and it would be such a huge blow if it does close."

Having moved with her family to Combpyne near Lyme Regis from Yorkshire, Mrs Jones says that any threat of paediatric services closing would have impacted her decision on where to live.

"We have experience of veterinary care and we have to be no more than 20 minutes away from it at all times" she said. "But the same rules don't seem to apply for human care. It doesn't make any sense.

"It must be impossible for people that don't drive or have other children to look after at the same time.

"A trip to Dorchester is bad enough on its own, especially with kids. But you cannot be having to travel even further for medical care. It makes it impossible. One of my children has a chronic condition and if I didn't have the security of a hospital on my doorstep, it would just feel wrong.

"If it does close, it would certainly be a backwards step. We moved here from North Yorkshire and if we knew the ward was at risk of closing, it would have really impacted our decision about where we moved to. It should be part of your quality of life."