DORCHESTER residents were the latest to have their say on a proposed shake-up of health services in Dorset.

A drop-in consultation event was held in the county town to discuss the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Clinical Services Review, which will shape the future of local health services.

The Dorchester consultation followed similar events in Weymouth and Bridport.

Dorset County Hospital services, transport and ambulance transport were among the issues discussed at the event at the Dorford Centre.

Wild winter weather limited numbers, but a small band of campaigners turned out to voice their support for services at the Dorchester hospital.

The campaign group has been fighting for months to urge CCG bosses to maintain paediatric and maternity services at the hospital.

Campaigner Claudia Sorin said concerns were raised about the future of open access arrangements for complex patients at the Kingfisher children's ward as well as the distances families faced having to travel if services are transferred to the east of the county and the impact on the already stretched ambulance services.

She said: "These are questions which need to be asked because they are important and there are things in the consultation document that don't really make sense."

Dr Martin Longley, deputy locality chairman for the CCG and a GP at Milton Abbas, said the general responses from members of the public at the Dorchester consultation event had been positive.

He said: "Certainly people I've spoken to want to get involved and want to express their opinions.

"We have allayed some fears and people have been able to get their concerns on paper so the CCG can look at them."

Dr Longley insisted that this was a genuine consultation exercise and that the feedback from members of the public would be taken into consideration.

He stressed that the CCG was just keen to get comments from as many people as possible during the consultation exercise, which runs until February 28.

Dorchester town councillor Janet Hewitt was among those to attend the drop-in session and she welcomed the opportunity for people to have their say and to find out more about what was being proposed by the CCG.

She said: "I think it was extremely useful to hear what the doctors and consultants want and how they fell it will give a better service to the community."

For more information about the Clinical Services Review consultation visit csr.dorsetsvision.nhs.uk