South Dorset MP Richard Drax has met up with civic and health chiefs to discuss the future of healthcare on Portland.

It comes after Dorset Healthcare University NHS Trust announced the closure of 16 beds at Portland Community Hospital as part of a planned shake-up of NHS services across the county, which is currently facing a judicial review.

Mr Drax met with Portland councillors Katherine Garcia and Kerry Baker and the health trust's chief executive Ron Shields to discuss the issue this week and how services will be delivered on the island in future. 

It comes after some 170 people packed the pews of All Saints Church in Easton for a public meeting last month which was convened by the South Dorset MP.

At the meeting, Ron Shields made his case for the closure of the 16 beds at Portland hospital - but faced accusations of misleading statements, and angry calls to resign.

Mr Shields stressed that staffing shortages left the trust unable to operate beds at both Portland hospital and Westhaven hospital in Weymouth.

Cllr Garcia said: “As part of our discussions with Ron and Richard, Kerry and I pressed them on how both health and social care services could be improved on Portland and the importance of engaging with the general public in regards to any future proposed changes.

"On this matter we will be having another meeting shortly to discuss how we move forward to ensure good quality health and social care services are delivered on Portland in the future."

Cllr Baker added: “We were very grateful that our MP Richard Drax and Mr Shields both took time out of their busy schedules to meet us to discuss concerns over the Portland Hospital site.

"We had an open and honest discussion about our and our residents’ concerns regarding the closure of the beds.

"We were also reassured by Ron that the other services on that site would remain for the foreseeable future.”

Mr Drax, said: "It’s important to remember that the Portland Hospital beds were closed due to a lack of qualified nursing staff to run them. NHS England is currently short of a 40,000 nurses – a staggering figure - and this deeply regrettable bed closure is one of the consequences. We must recruit and train more nurses urgently.

"To that end, I am holding an adjournment debate in Parliament on the training of nurses next month on 5 September.

"A Minister will be required to answer for the Government and I will do all I can to keep attention on this crisis.”

The Dorset Echo has contacted Mr Shields for comment.