The new year will see work start on Dorset County Hospital’s long-awaited multi-storey car park - a move bosses describe as a 'hugely significant and exciting period in DCH’s history'.

Plans to build the car park, part of proposals to extend the Dorchester site which includes expanding the emergency department and Intensive Care Unit and establishing an Integrated Care Hub, were approved in September.

Councillors went against the recommendations of planning officers, saying the benefits of the expansion outweighed any concerns the car park might have on the surrounding area.

The hospital has been allocated more than £60 million from the government as part of the National Health Infrastructure plan to expand key clinical services. The car park is being built to free up land for these new facilities.

Car parking at the hospital has long been a contentious issue with some visitors choosing to park in surrounding roads to avoid paying or because there is no room on site.

DCH says work to build the car park will start in January, with Willmott Dixon undertaking the construction works.

Visitors can expect some disruption – work will affect the main entrance in Williams Avenue and an area in the the existing car park will be cordoned off. It is stressed the construction team will be making every effort to minimise the impact of the building work.

Dorset County Hospital’s Deputy Chief Executive Nick Johnson said: “We are delighted to be able to get the building work under way in the New Year, marking the start of a hugely significant and exciting period in DCH’s history.

"We would like to thank everyone who supported our planning application for the multi-storey as this scheme is the key to unlocking the future expansion of clinical services."

He added: “Our existing Emergency Department and ICU were not built to accommodate the volume of patients we are seeing now.

"Our clinical teams have responded magnificently to the additional challenges coronavirus has brought, but it is now more clear than ever that we must create additional space and facilities to ensure the safety of our patients. The development of these facilities is vital to make sure we are able to continue to meet the ever increasing demand on our services and secure the future of Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester for a generation to come.

“As well as improving healthcare services for our population we are also committed to our role in benefitting the local economy. Where possible, we will work closely with our contractors to make sure local people are employed and local suppliers are used for our building programme. We are also exploring future opportunities to develop other land on our site for the provision of local key worker housing."

You can find more details about Dorset County Hospital’s site development plans at: www.dchft.nhs.uk/about/site-development/Pages/default.aspx