Location
The hospital is located a short distance from the Wessex Way (A338) in Castle Lane East (A3060) in Bournemouth. It is served by bus routes operated by Wilts & Dorset. Bournemouth railway station is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the hospital.[2]
History
The first phase of the hospital, which replaced the Royal Victoria Hospital,[a] opened in 1989.[4] A second phase of the hospital was opened by Princess Anne in 1992.[4] A Cardiac Intervention Unit was opened in April 2005 and the Derwent Hospital, a 28-bed unit previously operated as a private hospital, was purchased in 2007.[4][5]
Various acute services were transferred from Christchurch Hospital to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in 2010.[6]
On 3 November 2021, a ceremony was carried out to mark the start of construction work on building a new wing. The project is part of a £250 million reorganisation of healthcare in Dorset.[7]
On 6 May 2022, Charles, Prince of Wales opened a lavender garden at the hospital dedicated to hospital staff who died during the Covid-19 pandemic.[8]
Services
It has a 24-hour accident & emergency department.[9] It also provides district-wide services for vascular surgery and urology. Outpatient clinics are provided for oral surgery, paediatrics, plastic surgery, ENT (ears, nose and throat), cardiothoracic and neurology.[10]
It is also the home to a diabetic unit called BDEC, which treats and educates local patients diagnosed with the disease.[11]
Porters
A 12-minute film entitled Porters made by students from Newport Film School at the hospital in 2015, told the story of the hospital's porters. It won a number of awards and was added to the British Film Institute's national archives.[13]
