POOLE Hospital's maternity and paediatric services will be relocated to Bournemouth if it is chosen as the major emergency site for the county.

On Monday Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) was announced as the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group's (CCG) preferred choice to be redeveloped as a major emergency centre, taking the most seriously injured or ill patients.

No decision has yet been made on the plans, part of the Clinical Services Review which aims to save millions of pounds over the next few years, but if adopted Poole Hospital would be redeveloped as a major planned care site with a reduced emergency department.

It has now been revealed that Poole Hospital is also at risk of losing its maternity and paediatric services as they would both be transferred to RBH as part of the proposals.

There were 4,935 babies born at St Mary’s maternity unit in Poole last year compared to 385 at RBH - but more antenatal and postnatal appointments took place at RBH than any other centre in the county.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, CCG transformation director Phil Richardson said obstetrics (childbirth and midwifery) facilities at both RBH and Poole Hospital were out of date and both had submitted plans for new units.

"There will be new investment, a new maternity unit and paediatric unit," he said.

"The preferred option is for these services to be transferred to Bournemouth."

No proposals have yet been put forward regarding paediatric and maternity services at Dorset County Hospital.

Yesterday an online petition was launched to save Poole Hospital's maternity unit, which had gathered more than 2,000 signatures by the time the Echo went to press.

The petition claimed "travelling to the proposed new site in Bournemouth would be time consuming for pregnant women and their families which could potentially result in delays in treatment and care".

RBH chief executive Tony Spotswood said: "There is about £145 million of investment to develop the Bournemouth and Poole sites to provide a broad range of services in one location, with better access to services and better outcomes.

"For maternity services, more antenatal and postnatal care is currently provided at RBH than at other centres in the region including Poole Hospital.

"But more births presently take place at Poole Hospital for women who live in the Bournemouth and Christchurch conurbation than from Poole.

"Creating a centre for maternity and paediatric services at RBH will see brand new, state of the art facilities built, staffed by the existing team of midwives, nurses, allied health professional staff and doctors from across both Poole Hospital and RBH.

"These changes are part of a planned investment of almost £50 million in maternity, paediatric and A&E services."

He said, should Poole become the planned care site, the responsibility for various planned-in-advance surgical procedures would be transferred there from Bournemouth, such as orthopaedic surgery.

Quizzed by watchdog group Healthwatch Dorset, the CCG said that under the current proposal both Poole and Dorset County hospitals would retain their departments.

"While this is the recommended option being given to the CCG Governing Body, it remains subject to public consultation and a final decision next year," the statement said.

"If approved, Poole Hospital A&E will become an Urgent Care Centre. It will continue to treat the majority of cases that it currently sees with the more severe cases being conveyed to or treated at Bournemouth Hospital."

The CCG added: "We would like to reassure people that, as happens now, paramedics will assess patients and take them to the most appropriate site to ensure the best outcomes.

"Under the current proposal Bournemouth could be a major emergency centre.

"Most patients with severe trauma, cardiac or other major emergencies will arrive by ambulance."

The review plans, under way since 2014, will be considered at a CCG governors' meeting on Wednesday, May 18, and will be presented to NHS England later this year before both options - with either RBH or Poole as the major emergency site - are presented to the public in a consultation in the autumn.

Both trusts have expressed their preference to be redeveloped as the emergency site.

The CCG has urged the public to engage with a consultation on the plans when it begins in September.

"We will consult on both options," said CCG chief officer Tim Goodson.

"We would like to invite as many people as possible to take part. We are interested to know what their views are and if there are things we haven't considered.

"A decision won't be made until 2017."