The Save Portland Hospital group has set up an online petition and organised an event to try and keep pressure on health chiefs.

The campaign group was formed to try and prevent the local community hospital from becoming “run-down and underused.”

Group campaigners say their aim is to “ensure that the hospital is not underused but expanded and kept until staffing problems are resolved and the community beds can be brought back to the island.”

In June 2018, health chiefs announced that 16 beds at Portland Hospital would be axed, quoting staffing shortages as the reason behind this.

The Echo reported in September that the idea of the site being sold off for £7m was mooted in a Dorset HealthCare board report. Ron Shields, CEO of Dorset HealthCare, denied these claims. He said: “To be absolutely clear, there is no plan to sell Portland Hospital.”

Nonetheless, campaigners were left worried about the future of the facility and island health services following these events.

Giovanna Lewis founded the Save Portland Hospital group to keep pressure on the trust and to make sure that the hospital is not forgotten.

She said: “After many meetings with Ron Shields over many months, it was decided that there are no plans to close Portland hospital, as long as the Portland people wish to keep the hospital.

“We launched a petition to determine what the people of Portland and surrounding areas wanted. The response has been overwhelming in support of keeping the hospital on the site, keeping the services already provided at the hospital and supporting services that wish to come to the hospital in the future.

“Most Portlanders would not find it difficult to get to the local hospital. What they would and do find difficult is to get to any other hospital that is not on the island.”

At the time of writing, the petition had amassed 400 signatures, when added to their paper petition the group has more than 2,000 signatures.

Supporters have been leaving comments on the page. One said: “Community Hospitals are vital for isolated, hard to reach areas such as Portland.”

As well as the petition, the group has organised a ‘Hands around the Hospital’ event, inviting the community to join them as they form a circle of hands around Portland Hospital to show that the public wants to keep the community hospital.

The event will take place on Saturday, February 16 between 11am-12pm.

The online petition is available here: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/239/979/015/keep-portland-hospital/?taf_id=61103021&cid=fb_na#

Isle's healthcare meetings

A series of public meetings at Portland Hospital will be held so that the community may have its say about healthcare services on the island.

The series of discussions will be about how NHS organisations, GPs, local councils, community organisations and local people can develop the best possible services for the isle of Portland.

The meetings will be held in the physio gym of Portland Hospital on Castle Road.

Here are the dates and times:

  • Today - Tuesday, January 29 at 2pm-4pm
  • Wednesday, January 30 at 7.30pm-9.30pm
  • Wednesday, March 13 at 2pm-4pm
  • Thursday, March 14 at 7.30pm-9.30pm
  • Tuesday, May 21 at 2pm-4pm
  • Wednesday, May 22 at 7.30pm-9.30pm
  • Wednesday, July 17 at 2pm-4pm
  • Thursday, July 18 at 7.30pm-9.30pm

To book your place, email dhc.communications.team@nhs.net or call 01202277085.