Generous donations to the Friends of Swanage Hospital have made it possible for work to start soon on moving the outpatient department into newly refurbished premises and, in the meantime, the community is invited to come along to an afternoon tea to show its support for the hospital’s work.
The event in the garden of Swanage Community Hospital in Queen’s Road, is from 2 pm to 4 pm on Saturday 14th June 2025 with cream teas and a raffle, as well as stalls selling bric-a-brac, plants, crafts, games, and books.
Open invite to afternoon tea in the grounds of Swanage Community Hospital
“Plenty to eat and drink”
Fingers are firmly crossed for good weather after the event in 2024 was sadly rained off, but so far the forecast is looking sunny.
Chair of Friends of Swanage Hospital Deirdre Selwyn said:
“We warmly welcome all members of the local community to come along to our afternoon tea in the garden.
“We will have all our usual stalls except for the cake stall, which as many will know was always superbly run by Sue Whitton, who sadly died a few months ago. Without Sue, we didn’t feel we could emulate her amazing cake stall this year. She is very missed by us all.
“However there will be plenty to eat and drink and all profits will go to Swanage Community Hospital.”
Raffle prizes on display in the hospital reception area
Fight to retain services
The hospital offers a minor injuries unit, x-ray department, the 15 bed Stanley Purser ward, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and an outpatient department.
However the community has had to fight to retain services and staffing at the hospital and despite protests, the hours of the minor injuries unit were reduced in June 2023 and on the day of the Swanage Carnival Parade on Sunday 28th July 2024 – the town’s busiest time of the year – it was closed for the day.
In September 2023, the rheumatology follow up clinic at Swanage Community Hospital was scrapped without warning by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, leaving some of Purbeck’s least mobile patients to travel to Poole for their treatment.
Chair of Friends of Swanage Hospital Deirdre Selwyn
The outpatient department is to move into the refurbished premises of the old endoscopy suite
“Bring more clinics back to our community”
Deirdre Selwyn said:
“We would love to see the rheumatology follow up clinic return to Swanage, and at any time we will find the space to accommodate the much appreciated service. We want to bring more clinics back to our community and are working hard to encourage consultants to come to Swanage.
“There’s also developments in telemedicine which allows patients to access healthcare via a video call and other online methods, and we are looking to improve the IT at the hospital in order to facilitate this in the future.
“However the immediate good news is that the old endoscopy suite is to be refurbished and the outpatient department will move into that space, allowing the current outpatient building to be redecorated and repurposed. This is all possible due to all the generous support that the Friends receives, which we can then invest in the hospital facilities.
“I’d also like to let everyone know that you are allowed to walk into the minor injuries unit without an appointment. Ideally, it’s better to ring 111 to get advice and an appointment, but the door is open and people can just walk in.
“So please do come along and support your community hospital on Saturday!”
Coomon sense prevails and you can now walk in to the minor injuries unit without an appointment
Further information
- More about joining Friends of Swanage Hospital
- In the event of bad weather, there is a back up plan to hold the afternoon tea in the Catholic Church Hall, Rempstone Rd, BH19 1AH.
