Emergency and Critical Care Appeal

What is the Need?

Dorset County Hospital is the main provider of acute hospital services to a population of around 300,000, living within Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck.

With housing developments, a growing population, increased tourism and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have never had a higher demand for our emergency and critical care services.

The Emergency Department was built to accommodate 22,000 attendances. In 2024/25 attendances were 52,871, more than twice the amount it was originally built for.

The Critical Care Unit is currently operating under significant constraints including lack of staff and relatives’ facilities, no dedicated paediatric space and facilities, and no capacity for future need.

There is currently insufficient Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit capacity at Dorset County Hospital to meet both current and future demand.

Demand is expected to rise, so investment is vital to make sure we can meet our patients’ needs for future generations.

What is the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit?

To help ensure our resilience in the future, Dorset County Hospital is building a new £100 million Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit, with the main construction funded from the Government’s New Hospital Programme. This is the largest investment in hospital facilities for the West and North Dorset region in 25 years. This major development is planned for completion in 2027 and will provide:

Two-storey building incorporating Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit that will link to the existing hospital.
24 critical care beds in the new Critical Care Unit (currently 11 beds)
47 Emergency Department spaces (currently 35)
The layout for the Emergency Department will be reconfigured to work more efficiently, providing more space with a dedicated majors unit, minor injuries unit and paediatrics.
New rooftop helipad.

What difference can you make?

Your donation to this major Appeal will fund important enhancements to the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit, making it the very best it can be for patients, staff and loved ones. Specific funding areas are listed below.

ED Relatives’ Rooms will provide a designated space where family members can wait, receive updates and support, and process distressing information about a loved one. Target £160K
ED Child & Adolescent Mental Health facilities providing separate and dedicated spaces for children and adolescents to receive assessment and treatment. Target £100K
ED Staff Room and facilities will support the health and wellbeing of staff working long hours under immense pressure. Target £120K
ED medical equipment such as a slit lamp to examine a patient’s eye and measure eye pressure (£21K). Total equipment target £180K
Furnishings required for both Emergency Department and Critical Care funded rooms and facilities above. Target £115K
Arts in Hospital: artistic commissions to enhance and create a more welcoming and calming care environment in both the Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit. Target £150K (Costings for specific art commissions available on request)

Critical Care Unit paediatric bed facilities and associated equipment providing specialist facilities for seriously ill children. Target £220K
Critical Care Unit relatives’ overnight accommodation will have two en-suite double rooms which will bring significant benefits to families, allowing them to be close to their loved ones at a very difficult time. Target £200K
Staff Overnight Accommodation will include two single occupancy en-suite rooms, directly improving the welfare of specialist doctors and nurses working overnight and on-call. Target £150K
Staff Quiet Room will provide space for reflection and mental recovery for clinical staff, with reclining chairs. Target £100K
Staff Rest Area for staff breaks during shifts to allow space for rest and decompression. Target £140K
Critical Care Unit patient winter garden and outdoor area to provide a quiet and reflective outdoor space for Critical Care Unit patients, their families and Critical Care ward staff. Total equipment £150K
Critical Care medical equipment such as a Mobile X-Ray Imaging Unit enabling examinations to be performed by a patient’s bedside (£85K). Total target £300K
Arts in Hospital: artistic commissions to enhance and create a more welcoming and calming care environment in both the Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit. Target £150K (Costings for specific art commissions available on request)

Donate now

Dr Suzie Key is a Consultant Emergency Physician in our Emergency Department

Clinician Case: Emergency Department

Dr Suzie Key on the benefits of the new ED

“Over the last few years, the Emergency Department at Dorset County has had to adapt to many new challenges whilst continuing to provide high quality care to the people of Dorset. These challenges have put into focus the limitations of the existing department which was originally built to provide care for approximately half the number of patients we now see.

The aim of the New Hospital Programme is to provide a modern Emergency Department better designed to meet the needs of the local population. The new department aims to give dedicated spaces for children and young people as well as those with mental health needs. It is being designed to reduce crowded waiting areas and provide a calm and pleasant environment for people to be treated in.

The needs of our population are ever increasing. This amazing new project will enable Dorset County to build a department to meet those needs both now and into the future.”

Clinician Case: Critical Care Unit

Dr David Quick, Consultant in Anaesthetics and Critical Care Medicine explains the need for the new Critical Care Unit

“The Covid pandemic sharply brought into focus the shortage of beds in critical care at Dorset County Hospital. The hospital was already well below the national average for critical beds per head of population but the unit was able to temporarily expand into ward areas to cope with the increase in demand.

The new Critical Care Unit will provide a facility that is purpose built to enhance the care for patients, to provide families with support and access to their loved ones and provide an environment for the staff to work to their full potential.

I am particularly excited that the plans include rooms for relatives to get rest and have some privacy, space for staff education and relaxation and an outdoor area that will provide patients with access to fresh air.”