A NEW bus shelter is set to be provided for passengers travelling to Dorset County Hospital - almost a year after buses were diverted from the hospital grounds.

Hospital governor Michel Hooper-Immins raised concerns that since the end of September last year passengers, many of them hospital patients, have been forced to stand and wait for buses at a stop in Bridport Road without any form of shelter or seating.

He said that concerns about this had been raised with the Weymouth and Portland Public Health Network, a local patients panel, and he had raised them with Dorset County Council to make it aware of the situation.

The county council has now confirmed that a new shelter is due to be built next month.

Mr Hooper-Immins said: “It seems amazing that it will have taken the county council a year to get round to building a shelter, while patients have shivered through winter and now sweated through summer being forced to stand and wait for buses.

“I believe First Bus should not have been allowed to divert services out of the hospital without a shelter and seating being provided.

“Both Dorset County Council and First Bus have been uncaring of the comfort of bus passengers from the hospital, many of whom will, by definition, be unwell.”

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “The commercial bus service was withdrawn after a number of delays on-site caused by inconsiderate parking.

“This allowed the bus operator to consider increasing the frequency from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes.

“Then, when off-site, it went to every 10 minutes.

“They also then had the opportunity to increase the capacity by using double-deckers on the service.

“However, due to resource and budget constraints the provision of lay-by or just shelter has been delayed.

“It is now expected that the new hard standing, shelter and seating for the bus stop will be installed the week beginning September 12.

“This will not impact on the proposed works for the new radiotherapy building.”

Simon Newport, general manager at First Wessex, said: “We had to moved the bus stop because of traffic problems, but were able to make a number of improvements - we increased the frequency from once every 15 minutes to a bus every 10 minutes and extended the route to serve the Poundbury community.”

He added: “We work closely with the council on these type of changes, and welcome the news that a bus shelter will be put in place for our bus passengers before the autumn, but in the meantime let’s enjoy the sunshine and hope the nice weather lasts.”