CAMPAIGNERS fighting the closure of Poole Hospital’s A&E department are considering an appeal after they lost a legal challenge to keep the site open today.

Anna Hinsull, who suffers from “many serious health conditions” leaving her “heavily dependent on safe access to emergency healthcare” at the hospital, brought a judicial review of Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) decision to axe the hospital’s A&E and specialist maternity unit.

Its changes meant the Poole A&E had been “downgraded” to a GP-led urgent care centre and emergency care would only be available at Royal Bournemouth Hospital or Dorset County Hospital, around eight or 20 miles away respectively.