The way the public accesses Dorset County Hospital’s (DCH) Emergency Department will change this spring.
Main construction of the Trust’s new Emergency Department (ED) and Critical Care Unit on the former Damers School site will begin in March 2025. The scheme is part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme.
In order to keep emergency services running smoothly during the building work, the way that the public accesses the hospital’s existing ED will change.
From 3 March 2025, people arriving at the current ED on foot or by car will access the department via South Wing, Entrance 1. They will enter a dedicated area where Emergency Department staff will continue to ensure patients receive the most appropriate care.
Ambulances will arrive at the existing ED via a new blue light vehicle-only access road off Damers Road that will go around the construction site. This change has been carefully planned and with South Western Ambulance Trust.
The Trust is updating signage on and around the hospital site, and parking outside South Wing, Entrance 1 is being reconfigured to allow ED drop-off spaces to be created. There will still be chemotherapy bays and disabled parking bays in this area.
The set-up of the parking barrier system at the Williams Avenue entrance is being reviewed. Once the changes are in place in March, these will be closely monitored to make sure anyone visiting the Emergency Department can get through swiftly.
