The Cranborne Practice is trialling a new online consultation system that enables patients to access some of our GP online services such as requesting a fit/sick note or asking about your test results.  Members of our Patient Participation Group helped us to test the system (called SystmConnect), and it was positively received.

Follow this link to find out more about SystmConnect>>

Please note that the SystmConnect service is NOT for booking appointments or ordering repeat medications, which can be done online using a SystmOnline Services Patient Access account.  However, we invite you to try the online consultation services we are trialling through SystmConnect and let us know what you think. 

An Afternoon of Tea and Chat

Inside the Spring 2024 edition of The Doctors Notes, you will find:

• Staff updates – we say farewell to Dr Woollard and hello to a few new faces
• A look back at the Practice’s performance and the feedback we’ve received from patients over the past year
• News on the latest health awareness campaigns, and
• More on our work to promote wellness in our community through our Community SWITCH programme.

Thank you to our amazing Patient Participation Group members for their input and support in creating this newsletter.  

Don’t forget you can let us know what you think of our patient communications using the Patient Communications Feedback form on our website here>>

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.

Patients will be contacted if their NHS record suggests they may be eligible for a seasonal spring COVID-19 vaccine to be offered an appointment at drive-through clinics at the Community Vaccination Centre next to our Lake Road surgery in Verwood.  These clinics are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings commencing the 22^nd of April through to early June.

Patients with a mobile phone registered with us will be sent an SMS text message with details of how to book an appointment online.  You will be contacted on your landline if you do not have a mobile telephone number registered.

Please wait to be contacted by the NHS if you're eligible.

For more information on this season’s eligibility criteria, please visit the PCN Community Vaccination page here>>

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 The Cranborne Practice, we want to do all we can to help you with your well-being needs. 

As is being reported in the media, there has been an outbreak of measles in the West Midlands, which is likely to spread rapidly across more parts of the UK unless more people take up the MMR vaccine.

We are delighted to share some exciting news regarding our ongoing efforts to enhance and improve our patients’ healthcare experience.

Our proposal to develop three additional consulting rooms at our Lake Road Verwood surgery site has received approval. This expansion project will utilise the space previously occupied by the pharmacy, and work is set to commence on January 21st, 2024.

The decision to expand our facilities is a testament to our commitment to providing you with the best possible care. With these new consulting rooms, we aim to enhance our ability to accommodate patient appointments more efficiently, reducing wait times and ensuring you receive timely and personalised attention.

We understand the importance of a seamless and comfortable healthcare experience, and this expansion aligns with our dedication to continuously improve our services. Throughout the construction process, we will make every effort to minimise disruptions to your visits to our Lake Road branch.

Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in The Cranborne Practice as we embark on this programme to enhance our facilities.  We look forward to its positive impact on the quality of service we provide.

A phishing email campaign is currently targeting people with fake Lloyds Pharmacy emails. The emails falsely claim that by signing up for LloydsDirect you can easily manage prescriptions and get free delivery. 

As part of our continuing commitment to improving patient access, we are pleased to advise that we are installing a new and improved telephony system at our Cranborne and Lake Road Surgeries.  This upgrade is designed to optimize patient access and streamline communication, enabling us to serve you better.  Find out more here>>

From November 2023 all patients in our network who are over 16 will be 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>>

Autumn COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Clinics are being held as drive through clinics on weekday evenings.  Patients must have a clinic appointment before attending.  

The Cranborne Practice Lake Road surgery remains open for evening patient appointments during Vaccination Clinic evening hours. To help ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and volunteers, please visit the PCN website for information on what to expect when attending the Autumn COVID Booster  Drive Through Clinic at the Crane Valley COVID Vaccination Centre. 

Link to information on the Crane Valley PCN Vaccination Centre>>

The NHS want you to have the best possible experience of care. The NHS Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review and improve our service to you. Between April and the end of July, our Practice received 328 FFT responses.

We are delighted to learn from our recent NHS Friends & Family test results that 99.4% of respondents said their recent experience of visiting the Practice was Good or Very Good.

Find out more including patients' feedback comments on our website here>>

We’re pleased to publish our Summer 2023 newsletter, developed with the help of PPG members.  In this issue:

• Our Annual GP Patient Survey results
• Whats’ happening with the space following the relocation of Verwood Pharmacy from Lake Road
• The latest on new healthcare staff at the Practice and lots more

Download and view a copy here>>

Please let us know what you think of our patient communications by following this link:>>

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.  The Cranborne Practice, 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>>

As recently communicated, Verwood Pharmacy has relocated from the Lake Road Surgery site to new premises.  Our Lake Road Surgery is still open as usual, and the departure of the pharmacy enables The Cranborne Practice to expand its consulting rooms at the site, adding three more consulting rooms for face-to-face appointments.  Work is now underway to convert the rooms in readiness for patients.

These changes have enabled the Cranborne Practice to continue to develop and offer more services, including increased availability of face-to-face appointments for our patients.  The surgery is proud of its same-day appointment service, where 86% of patients calling for a GP appointment will get to see or speak to a GP on the same day.  With this increased capacity, the surgery is pleased to continue to be able to take on new patients.  For more information on how to register with us, please visit our website by following this link>>

Our reception teams are receiving enquiries concerning our Lake Road Branch and Verwood Pharmacy.  So may we clarify that our Lake Road Surgery site remains open, but we cannot assist with queries about Verwood Pharmacy operations.  Pharmland Ltd, trading as Verwood Pharmacy, is a separate entity not owned or operated by our Practice.

Verwood Pharmacy has made available information about the move and its services. You can find out more by visiting their website (pharmland.co.uk) for updates.

More information about this closure is available on the Crane Valley Primary Care Network website by following this link>>  The information has been provided by the NHS South West and provides details of how you can nominate a new pharmacy to receive your prescription.

Verwood Pharmacy in Station Road and Morrison’s Pharmacy in Chiltern Drive remain open and are happy to continue providing your pharmaceutical needs should you wish to transfer there.  

During Maternal Mental Health Week (1st to 7th May) we want to remind new parents that free NHS mental well-being support is available to patients in Dorset from Steps2Wellbeing. You are not alone if you are experiencing difficulties with your mental health following having a child. Connecting with others with similar experiences may help. Steps2Wellbeing has a dedicated perinatal team running Steps4Mums, ParenTalk and Mums Matter groups for new parents. These groups provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment to discuss topics like:

The British Heart Foundation offer free online CPR training. Find out more in this video created by our Patient Participation Group (PPG) members.

World Immunisation week is the perfect reminder of the importance of vaccination against serious illnesses such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). 

Make sure your child is up to date on their vaccinations.  Visit our Childhood Immunisations web page for info about the routine vaccinations we offer.

We will contact you when your child is due for a vaccination.  But if you believe your child may have missed a vaccination, please get in touch to let us know.

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. 

Find our more on our dedicated Armed Forces Support page here>>

In our latest edition, we provide information on how you can stay well and help alleviate some of the pressure on NHS services this winter, as well as our latest staff news and other information we hope you will find interesting and helpful. Follow this link to download and view a copy>>

Please let us know what you think of our patient communications by following this link:>>

Further to the Verwood Today news story concerning Verwood Pharmacy’s planning application to relocate to the former Lloyds Bank site on Manor Road, Verwood, we can assure our patients that the issuing of prescriptions will continue as usual. Therefore, our patients do not need to take action at this stage. We will continue to arrange for prescriptions to be prepared by Verwood Pharmacy. Once the pharmacy has relocated, the Cranborne Practice will utilise the space to provide additional consultation rooms, increasing the capacity to deliver face-to-face consultations with GPs and Healthcare staff.

Commenting on the changes, Practice Managing Partner Jo Morris says, “The continued co-existence of both the surgery and the pharmacy in the same building limits the development of both organisations. A relocation provides us with opportunities to increase available consultation space. We will continue to work with the pharmacy to ensure a seamless transition for our patients and their customers to the new premises.”

Further to today’s article in the Daily Echo,  may we say that we, along with other GP surgeries, are faced with the daily work of ensuring we can help all our patients. Since June, we have offered same-day GP consultations face-to-face or by telephone if preferred. 

It is not easy, and our dedicated and committed team have been working hard to deliver the best possible service against the ever-increasing demands and medical challenges.  While we recognise that we may not always be able to accommodate what our patients want, we always ensure we can provide for their needs. We will continue to improve the service for the more than 12,000 patients we serve in Cranborne and Verwood.

Thank you to our staff and patients for your continued support.

There are currently high rates of Group A strep and scarlet fever in the UK.

May we stress that people do not need to let us know about their hospital consultant letters, as details are already provided to us directly from the relevant secondary care provider. Contacting us to provide copies of consultant letters duplicates our work.

If you have registered to use SystmOnline or the NHS App, you can view your medical records to check what we have received, and only contact us if you think something important is missing. Find out more about online access to GP services on our website here>>

Thank you for your support.

Our colleagues in the Our Dorset Digital team and Crane Valley Primary Care Network are supporting us in rolling out a range of digital healthcare tools and technologies to support our patients, and our staff.

We will soon be inviting patients with long term health conditions such as hypertension, COPD, Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease to take up the offer of using technology and apps to better monitor and manage their conditions.

Keep an eye on our website and social media, but in the meantime, find out more about the healthcare tools and technologies being rolled out across the county on the Our Dorset Digital website here>>

Please choose the right healthcare service in Dorset. Get the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.

If you’re unwell and are unsure about where to go, visit  NHS 111 online or call 111.

At this very busy time, your 111 call may take a little longer to answer than usual but staff will get to you as quickly as possible. Please be patient and choose the right care.

For ongoing or non-urgent concerns please contact us or your local pharmacist for advice.

Only call 999 in a medical emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Thank you for your support.

A reminder to our patients booking appointments with our Health Care Assistants (HCAs) via SystmOnline, Airmid, or the NHS App that that the slots offered are for blood tests only.

We offer routine blood test slots through SystmOnline etc because they are of a defined duration. Other medical issues may take longer, but patients may still book quickly and easily using our Nurse/HCA Appointment booking form by following this link:>>

Booking a non routine HCA appointment this way enables our Reception team to find the right appointment slot for the patient. Thank you.

From Monday, the 6th of June, a new gateway will change how you book GP appointments.

The changes are intended to improve the accessibility of GP services, reduce waiting times and support our patient needs, creating opportunities to access a GP on the day of need. 

From this date, GP appointment bookings will only be able to be made by telephone or online using a Systmonline account or through the NHS app or Airmid App. In person bookings may also be made at our Lake Road Surgery branch.

For more information on what is changing and why, please visit our Patient Services and Information page here:>>

Please note that there is no change to other appointment booking types.  Appointment arrangements to see a Nurse, Health Care Assistant or for vaccinations remain unchanged.

We're pleased to advise that our patient car park at the Lake Road Surgery has now been extended to include the far end of the area (previously staff only parking).

The Practice has seen a considerable increase in requests for GP appointments recently. Please be assured we are doing our best to meet this surge in demand. However, we know that some patients may be frustrated by holding in a phone queue to have their call answered or waiting for a callback.  Please read more about how we have put in place a variety of options designed to give our patients more choice and flexibility in how and when they contact and interact with us:>>

For patients who use social media, please note we have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts (@CranborneGP).  We often post breaking news on Facebook earlier than it is posted on this website, so please follow us so these posts appear in your news feed.  

As well as the ways in which you can get in touch with us published on our Contact Us page, you can also send us a message from our Facebook page.

The practice is required by the Government under the terms of the latest GP contract to allocate all patients a named accountable GP. Individual patients will be informed of their named accountable GP at the first appropriate interaction with the practice. For convenience, if you have a medical card your Accountable GP will be the named doctor you are registered with.

Patients registering over the last 2-3 years will not have received a medical card as these are no longer routinely sent when registering with a new GP. However, the practice does keep a record of your registered (accountable) GP. If you wish to be told the name of your Accountable GP, please ask the receptionists when you are next in the surgery.

Please note: there is no need to telephone the practice for this information. Where a patient expresses a preference as to which GP they have been assigned, the practice will make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request. Having a named GP does not prevent you from seeing any other doctor in the practice. Your named GP will not be available at all times and if your needs are urgent, you may need to discuss them with an alternative doctor.

The Dorset Care Record is a new, confidential computer record that will, over time, include a range of health and social care shared information to help improve the care you receive.  The DCR is a safe way to keep all of your health information in one place. This means that it is easier and quicker for GP's, Nurses, and Social Workers to give you the right care.

If you have not already been given a booklet, then please ask Reception for a copy. Further information is also available by following this link:>>Welcome to the Dorset Care Record. 

The Cranborne Practice no longer prescribes Over the Counter medicines for a range of minor health conditions, as the NHS currently spends £136 million on prescriptions for medicines such as Paracetamol that can be bought over the counter at Pharmacies and Supermarkets. 

By reducing the amount the NHS spends on OTC medicines, the NHS can give priority to treatments for people with more serious conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and mental health problems.

Please click here for more information and a list of minor health conditions you can buy over the counter medicines for.