HEALTH secretary Victoria Atkins (Con, Louth and Horncastle) was in Dorset hospitals last week.

The minister met patents and staff in Shaftesbury and Dorchester during a whistle-stop tour of county sites.

She started at Westminster Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbury, meeting mental and physical health and social care staff who work closely together on site.

She then enjoyed a cup of tea and a chat with patients in the hospital’s day room before touring the garden created and maintained by the Friends of the hospital and volunteers.

Her next stop was Dorset County Hospital’s (DCH) new Outpatient Assessment Centre at South Walks House in Dorchester.

The centre opened in February and includes a treatment suite, diagnostic facilities (such as X-ray and ultrasound equipment) and clinic rooms to help reduce waiting times for patients.

Her final visit was to the construction site of DCH’s new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit, due to open in 2027.

“It was great to visit Dorset to see for myself the fantastic health care facilities that are available to patients across the county, as well as those in the pipeline,” she said.

“This included the construction site for the brand-new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit for Dorset County Hospital, which will help ensure we are meeting the needs of the NHS in the future.

“I also had the opportunity to meet fantastic members of staff, who go above and beyond for their patients every day, helping to make access to care faster, simpler and fairer for all.”

Matthew Bryant, chief executive of Dorset HealthCare and Dorset County Hospital, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State and to showcase the great work being done in Dorset.

“I was extremely proud to be alongside colleagues highlighting the many ways in which we are making a difference for patients by working in partnership across mental and physical health and with primary care and members of our community.

“We are doing innovative work which is making a real difference for patients and colleagues and it was great to have the opportunity to showcase some of this with partners and patients and talk about the challenges we are facing.”