Pharmacies are part of the NHS family and the range of clinical services they provide has expanded significantly in recent years.

Going to your local pharmacy offers an easy and convenient way to get healthcare advice and treatment for seven common minor conditions, potentially avoiding a GP appointment.  

Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who can provide expert advice and treatment for minor illnesses. They can also guide you to the right service if you need to see a GP or another healthcare provider.

Follow this link for more on why you should think "Pharmacy First">> 

Final call!

Tell the Dorset General Practice Alliance how you care for your health, what health info you need, and how confident you feel in managing it.

Your answers will help general practice surgeries in Dorset better understand the support patients need for feeling well and knowing what to do with minor illnesses.

A few minutes can make a big difference.

The survey is confidential and only takes about 5 minutes. All answers are anonymous.

Please use this link to access the survey>>

It remains open until Monday, 20^th January.

The Dorset General Practice Alliance have launched a survey asking people in the county how confident they feel about managing their own health, when to self-treat illnesses and the type of information people find useful.  

West Moors Village Surgery is pleased to offer a convenient walk-in service for flu vaccinations to all our eligible registered patients.

This service is available every weekday starting at 8:30 am, ensuring easy access to your seasonal flu protection. There's no need to book an appointment—simply drop in during our operating hours.

Protect yourself and your loved ones this flu season by visiting us at your earliest convenience. Stay well this winter with West Moors Village Surgery!

Follow this link to find out if you are eligible>>

October 18th is World Menopause Day, which is held annually to raise awareness of menopause and to support options to improve health and well-being for women in midlife and beyond. The theme for World Menopause Day 2024 is "Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)".

Information and advice on mpox is available on the NHS website here>>

It has been my privilege working with you at West Moors for twelve and a half years as a family doctor, but I have made the decision to move on and emigrate to Canada. This is partly due to a change in my personal circumstances, and partly to address my own health and wellbeing needs and attempt to maintain a healthy work life balance, which I fear has been steadily eroded. Sadly, I don’t think I am alone in this view, and I sincerely hope that NHS England chooses to renegotiate with GPs prior to planned industrial action later this year.

I am proud that I leave the practice fully staffed (even with my hours taken in to consideration, and for the first time in quite a while!) and that with your help, I have contributed to training the next generation of healthcare professionals, from medical students and GPs to paramedics, physician associates, and advanced care practitioners.

I feel over my time at West Moors I have grown as a doctor, educator, and human being. Despite the challenges the NHS faces, I love the job that I do, and I am looking forwards to different challenges in a new country, new healthcare system, and new role.

I am very grateful for the support  of Dr Gorvin, and the support he and I have in our staff, and I wish Dr Gorvin and the practice every success in the future.

Dr Dominic Hennessy

The UK will become the first country in the world to roll out a national vaccination programme against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), protecting infants & older people from becoming seriously ill. RSV accounts for 39,000 hospitalisations each year.

West Moors Village Surgery Carers monthly group meets on the second Monday of every month between 2pm and 4pm at the Fryer Pavilion, Bond Avenue, West Moors BH22 0LJ. 

At July's meeting we will welcome Stacey Hill, of Help & Care's Dementia Coordinator Service.

For more information, please contact Alison Morrison at the surgery or via email to wm.gp@nhs.net.

Don't forget to check out our Carer's Information page for useful information and resources for Carers.

Follow this link to our Carer's Information page>>

Seasonal COVID Booster Vaccinations are being offered to our patients aged 75 years old or over, those who live in a care home for older adults or are aged 12 or over and have a weakened immune system.

Did you know that approximately 1.6 million medicine items are wasted unnecessarily in Dorset every year?  We are asking our patients for help to reduce this.

At West Moors Village Surgery, we want to do all we can to help you with your well-being needs. 

We are pleased to advise that we are installing a new and improved telephone system designed to improve the patient experience and enable West Moors Village Surgery to serve you better.  

The new telephone system, scheduled to go live on Tuesday, the 19th of December, will allow our team to handle high call volumes, ensuring our patients can access the service they need quickly and efficiently.  The new system is equipped to handle increased call traffic efficiently, minimising wait times and improving accessibility for all. 

Additionally, detailed call reports generated by the new system will give us valuable insights into call patterns, peak times, and service demand. This data will enable us to identify areas for improvement and refine our services.

While we are working with the telephone engineering team to install the new system with minimal disruption to our services, your patience and understanding will be much appreciated during the transition period.

Thank you.

Since November 2022 all patients in our network who are over 16 have been able to view notes and health records. This includes notes from GP surgery appointments, test results, medications, and letters we receive from hospitals. These can be viewed online via the NHS App, NHS website, SystmOnline or the Airmid app. If you do not want your record to be available online, please speak with the Reception or Patient Services team at your surgery. For more, please visit the Crane Valley PCN information web page here>>

The Crane Valley Primary Care Network has begun to invite patients to book their Autumn COVID-19 Booster vaccinations. If you’re eligible for a booster vaccine, please come forward as soon as you’re invited. 

5 July 2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service. Treating 1.3 million people a day in England, the NHS touches all our lives.  West Moors Village Surgery, along with the other GP Practices in our network are proud to be a small part supporting the people in our local community to obtain, regain and maintain a healthy quality of life. 

Read more about the NHS and how its met the health and wellbeing needs of successive generations>>

Many people living with Dementia feel that having support along their journey will maximise independent living and prevent a crisis.

Coming soon for our diabetic patients and others who need to test their kidney function: At-home testing for early signs of kidney damage.

We are introducing the Minuteful Kidney service which allows people to carry out a urine test at home with a smart phone and a simple urine test kit, which will be sent to their home address. The test results go straight on their medical records via the mobile app, saving them and their GP time.

Patients who meet the criteria for the new service will receive an invitation from us via SMS text, offering them the service. The Minuteful Kidney service is securely provided by NHS Dorset partner, Healthy.io. People will have the opportunity to opt-in or out of this service. However, we encourage our patients to take up the offer because it enables a quicker follow-up on abnormal results and saves time for clinicians so they can spend more time on treatment.

For more information, visit the Minuteful Kidney web page on the Crane Valley Primary Care Network website by following this link>>

Our veteran patients have free access to Togetherall - Togetherall is a safe anonymous online community where members can share what’s on their mind, take comfort reading the thoughts of others or browse the many resources available. 

Togetherall provides: 

• A supportive online community – moderated by professionals at all times (BACP members or equivalent)
• An anonymous space, free from stigma or judgement.
• A safe place to talk at any time of the day or night.
• A library of self-help materials, including structured online courses on topics such as managing depression, improving sleep and a ‘managing PTSD’ course, which has been specifically designed to support the Armed Forces.

The Togetherall service is free for veterans and can be accessed immediately through a computer or mobile device at www.togetherall.com

Crane Valley Primary Care Network staff have been working hard to finalise this Spring’s Booster Vaccination Programme arrangements. Our local programme will commence in early April, delivering up to 5,000 boosters in our area.

If you’re sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit, put it by the loo. Don’t put it off.

We've set up a short survey to seek input from our patients on the upgrade and redesign of the Practice website. We are keen to improve our online presence, and seek input from our patients.  Let us know your views about our current website by taking a quick survey. The results will help us as we develop the new website to meet the needs of our patients and provide quick and easy access to the information needed to manage their health and well-being.

We are acting very cautiously and are maintaining:

• Social distancing

• Face coverings

• PPE for healthcare staff

The delta variant is more transmissible and patients may come to the surgery when they are contagious.

It is our duty to do all we can to keep both our patients and our staff safe whilst we deliver our care to you.

Thank you.

There are currently high rates of Group A strep and scarlet fever in the UK. Scarlet fever, which is caused by the bacteria Group A streptococcus, is usually a mild illness but it is highly infectious. It is much more common in children than in adults; it is important that children with scarlet fever are seen by their GP so that they can be started on antibiotics. This is not only to reduce the chance of their infection becoming more severe but also to stop them spreading the infection to others, especially people at higher risk of severe infections such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.