A new centre to help reduce NHS waiting lists has opened in Dorchester - one of the first of its kind in the country.

The temporary Outpatient Assessment Centre is welcoming patients at South Walks House and will be operating out of the ground floor for six months, bringing a range of outpatient services under one roof.

Patients are being invited to attend orthopaedic, musculoskeletal and physiotherapy appointments at the centre and can access a range of information and advice.

There is also a dedicated space for clinicians to conduct virtual appointments with patients through video and telephone calls.

Councillor Tony Ferrari, portfolio holder for economic growth, assets and property at Dorset Council, said: "We are proud t be working in partnership with the NHS by providing the council-owned South Walks House building to deliver health services for the next few months.

"It's so important that we work together across the public sector to provide good services and good value to residents. This arrangement with Dorset County Hospital will help reduce patient waiting lists, and makes good use of a vacant building while we finalise our longer-term plans."

The initiative is being led by Dorset County Hospital in partnership with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, Dorset HealthCare, LiveWell Dorset and Active Dorset.

Nick Johnson, Dorset County Hospital's deputy chief executive, said: "We are delighted to be working with Dorset Council and our health partners to open this new facility and make such good use of an existing building.

"This will allow us to see and assess many more patients than is possible is our existing clinics and make significant progress in tackling waiting list backlogs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"If this initiative proves successful, we would be very keen to continue to run clinics in a town centre location for the convenience of our patients, as well as for the benefit of local businesses by increasing footfall in the high street."

Nick added: "The Outpatient Assessment Centre was created in a matter of weeks thanks to an amazing team effort from everyone involved, with staff working around the clock to make it happen.

"We would like to thank our suppliers who also pulled out all the stops to meet the tight timescales - including Weymouth-based firm Medisave, who helped with co-ordinating the ordering, storage and delivery of essential equipment, and Dorchester Office Furniture."

The Dorchester centre is part of Dorset's wider 'Think Big' initiative to help reduce waiting lists and bring diagnostic services to the community. This is one of the first schemes of its kind to get up and running in the country.

Active Dorset is pleased to be involved, with chief executive Martin Kimberley saying: "It is a huge achievement in a very short time by everyone involved. This is a very tangible demonstration of how the key agencies in Dorset work innovatively, collaboratively and at speed to seek to deliver better outcomes for our residents.

"Wider wellbeing, the LiveWell Dorset service and the crucial connections into community support have been included throughout the planning. This demonstrates the fundamental commitment by all Dorset Integrated Care System partners to working differently so that there is a seamless transition from self-help and community support into clinical services and then back again.

"We look forward to supporting our Dorset Integrated Care System partners to achieve the ambitions of the Outpatient Assessment Centre and improved outcomes for residents and patients."

Emma Rossi, service manager for LiveWell Dorset, said: "We are proud to be part of this fantastic project to bring health and wellbeing services into the heart of the community.

"This is a real opportunity to develop a holistic approach to care, offering patients the opportunity to receive support to make lifestyle changes that will improve treatment outcomes and help them lead longer, healthier lives.

"We're looking forward to working alongside our NHS colleagues, offering a free one-to-one coaching and advice for those looking to lose weight, become more active, stop smoking or reduce drinking."

Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter below!

You can submit your own news straight to Dorchester Nub News by using the 'Nub It' button on our home page. This can also be done for events on our What's On page and businesses, groups and organisations on our Local Listings page , also by using the 'Nub It' button.

Please like and follow our online newspaper on your favourite social media channel. You can find us @DorchesterNubNews on Facebook and @DorchesterNub Twitter.