Portland migrant barge will put pressure on NHS, says mayor

Housing hundreds of migrants on a barge off Dorset will negatively impact healthcare provision in the area, a local mayor has said.

The government wants to accommodate 500 asylum seekers at Portland Port near Weymouth.

Portland mayor Pete Roper described it as the equivalent of a "housing estate of 500 people appearing overnight", putting pressure on local services.

NHS Dorset said it was awaiting more detail on the plans from government.

The three-storey, 222-room barge, known as the Bibby Stockholm, will house single men while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed, and operate for at least 18 months.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Roper said: "We have some concerns about the support facilities on the island.

"We are a small island connected to the mainland by a single road with a population of 14,000.

"Our health services have diminished over the years. We do have a community hospital but we've lost the beds in that hospital and the minor injuries unit has recently closed.

"We don't have an NHS dentist."

He added: "The [Home Office] factsheet [about the barge] does say basic healthcare facilities [but] there's no definition of that.

"If there's anything more serious, the individuals on the barge will probably have to go over to Weymouth or the Dorset General Hospital up in Dorchester.

"It's not just putting a load on the area of Portland but also on south Dorset itself."

Rebecca Fell, chief executive of Bournemouth-based charity International Care Network, said: "There's got to be enough infrastructure in terms of GP surgeries and the hospitals being able to take on the medical needs that so many do have, so we would be really worried about the surrounding area being able to support that vast number of people."

Dorset Council said it had "serious reservations" about the appropriateness of the location, and opposed the proposals.

It added: "There are a number of questions which the Home Secretary's announcement does not address. We will continue to press the Home Office for answers and await further information."

Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, which agreed to provide berthing space for the barge, said: "There will be close co-operation with local agencies, including the health, welfare and emergency services during the preparations for the vessel's arrival and its operation."

The Home Office said housing migrants in hotels costs more than £6m a day, with more than 51,000 people in nearly 400 hotels across the UK.

It said accommodation and facilities on the vessel would be "designed to ensure the essential needs of those accommodated there are met", and included "basic on-site healthcare provision to limit pressures on local NHS services".

A spokesperson for NHS Dorset said "We are aware of the announcement relating to the Bibby Stockholm dock and once more detail is available, we will work with local partners to assess the possible impact for local health services."

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