2nd April 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝟭𝟵 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

Following NHS England and Public Health England's updates, we are ready to make the following announcements.

As of Monday 6th April 2020, if you are coming to collect medication from our Dispensary, please do not come into the building but go to the window and press the doorbell (this will be sign-posted).

Poundbury Doctors Surgery will be open between 08:00 - 6.30 pm on Friday 10th April and Monday 13th April.  However, do not come to the surgery unless you have been asked to attend by one of our GPs.

Do not attend the surgery or Dispensary if you or someone in your household has a cough or fever. Self-isolate. Full details on self-isolation are here: https://www.gov.uk/…/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-w…

Please do not attend the surgery without phoning and speaking to one of the team first to ensure that this is necessary. You may be putting at risk yourself, family and other vulnerable patients, who may be in the surgery.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄? Make a plan for your household or family: https://www.gov.uk/…/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-w…

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴? The surgery does not have any way of testing. This is something that is decided by Public Health England. Do not attend the surgery thinking that we might perform the test, we are unable to. Public Health England states: "Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home".

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲? https://www.gov.uk/…/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-w…

Please use https://111.nhs.uk/

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀? The full document which is easy to read includes details on vulnerable people, pets, children, as well as advice on breastfeeding and many other aspects. Read it from the beginning here: https://www.gov.uk/…/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-w…

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲ry? PLEASE DO NOT contact the surgery unless absolutely essential. If you are asked information about your health, please be truthful with us. If a significant number of our staff are self-isolating this will take its toll on the service that we are able to offer you.

We are asking for very specific help from all of our patients in order to look after our community effectively. We are always listening though, and if you do wish to make suggestions please post them through the letter box on the outside wall of the surgery. Supportive messages are always valued by our team, although we will not be able to respond to them directly.

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲

• If you need to leave a prescription slip please use the postbox on the outside wall of the surgery. You do not need to come into the building anymore.

• If you are asked to attend the surgery, bring a maximum of one person with you. Ideally, come alone if possible.

• If you need employment advice, please speak to your employer or read the guidance. Do not call the surgery for employment advice.

• Do not call the surgery for travel advice. If you need travel advice, please go to https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/travel-advice-patients/ about travel insurance, go to https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-qa/
• A large proportion of our enquiries tend to be about hospital issues which we have no control over. If you are having issues with Hospital services, please contact the Hospital Patient Advice Liaison Services (PALS) directly. Please do try and limit your calls to the hospital to essential ones only though.

The Surgery and the Dispensary remain open but are operating according to the advice from Public Health England.

“If The NHS or the practice has written to you, or the named person you care for, as someone at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus (also known as COVID-19):

Please go to :

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

This information was correct as of the 2nd April 2020.

Dr Koppenhol, Coronavirus COVID 19 GP Lead

Local Help Available During Coronavirus

If you are unable to leave the house to get medicine or other vital goods there are groups working in your community.  These groups are also relevant to contact if you are one of our patients that use our Dispensary for medication.  Please click onto the links below:

Charminster, Charlton Down, Forston

Dorchester Community Support Group

As we get information about other contact groups, they will be added here.

Local Support Groups:

Dorset Community Response group  - 01305 221022

They have centralised access to all the volunteers locally who can help with food deliveries, meds deliveries and loneliness/isolation support.

• Dorchester Community Support Group Dorchester Area 07562 389 519
• Dorchester Family Church Dorchester Area 01305 265775
• Charlton Down, Forston and Charminster Coronavirus (Covid-19) Support Group Charminster Area 07947 622326
• Bradford Peverell Parish Council Bradford Peverell Area 01305 751735
• Puddletown Parish Covid-19 Support Group Dorchester Area 07881678126
• Cerne Abbas Coronavirus Support Cerne Abbas Area 0300 102 1031
• Sydling Support Network Sydling St Nicholas Area 01300 341593
• Buckland Newton Community Connections Buckland Newton Area 07733 849264
• Cheselbourne Coronavirus Support Group Cheselbourne Area 01258 837011
• Crossways Residents Coronavirus Volunteer Help Service Crossways Area 07920 017203
• Broadmayne Coronavirus Community Response Team Broadmayne Area 01305 854869
• Briantspuddle Affpuddle and Turnerspuddle Parish Council Covid19 Support Group Briantspuddle Area 07745 796 118
• Poundbury Community Coronavirus Help Group (Facebook page)
• Thorncombe Coronavirus Support (Facebook page)
• Carers Helpline - Coronavirus Covid-19 The Leonardo Trust; 01202 698 325
• Shopping Services Age UK Dorchester; 0800 678 1602
• The Dorset Larder - Dorset Food and Drink Dorset Food and Drink - Covid-19 Response - Home Food Delivery Providers

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Coronavirus Fit Note Coronavirus Fit Note

Sample Holiday insurance cancellation letters

We regret that in these exceptional circumstances the practice is currently unable to write any letters for patients who are making a holiday refund insurance claim.

This service is non contractual and as such we are under no obligation to offer this. We hope you will understand that the GPs need to focus upon the clinical needs of their patients at this difficult time.

The Government announced on 17th March that: -

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) now advises British people against all non-essential travel worldwide. This advice takes effect immediately and applies initially for a period of 30 days.

As such, insurance claims can be requested on this basis. Full details can be read at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

Welcome to Poundbury Doctors Surgery (we were The Cornwall Road Medical Practice Renamed as of 1.5.2016)

We are a dispensing family doctor practice on the western side of Dorchester located on the edge of Poundbury, Dorset.  We are located within Frederick Treves House, a purpose-built medical centre.  We are on the left-hand-side as you enter the building.  Our receptionists will offer you a warm welcome. 

We cover a semi-rural and rural area that includes Dorchester and a surrounding area of approximately 5 miles radius.

We welcome new patients to join our practice.  Click on the New Patients tab above to find out more.Access

 The practice has a parking area that includes spaces allocated for those with disability next to the front entrance.  The building is  designed to assist those with disability and there is a patient lift for those patients who are unable to use the stairs.  All patient areas, including the toilets, are wheelchair accessible. We also have a ‘hearing aid loop’ facility. If you require any  assistance with this please ask at reception.

With patient needs at the heart of everything we do, our website has been designed to make it easy for you to gain instant access to the information you need. As well as specific practice details such as our opening hours and how to register, you’ll find a wealth of useful pages covering a wide range of health issues along with links to other relevant medical organisations.

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• PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY IF YOU SUSPECT YOU MAY HAVE CORONAVIRUS. 

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The Volunteer Centre  are contacting all pharmacies to offer a volunteer delivery service for those confined to their homes who would normally collect.

If you who would like to volunteer during this time you can sign up via the Dorset for You website or https://www.volunteeringdorset.org.uk/

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Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:

• Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
• Insurance claim forms
• Passport signing
• Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
• Private sick notes
• Vaccination certificates

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.

Go to the Charges Tab to see our current list of Non-NHS Charges.

If you make an appointment for a service which is not covered under our contract with the NHS please tell the Receptionist when you book your appointment.  Also ensure you know what the cost of this service will be BEFORE  your consultation, to avoid any misunderstandings.

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 Christmas Jumper Day Friday 13th Dec 2019

Thank you to everyone who generously donated to our Christmas Jumper event in aid of Save the Children.  We raised £59.18.

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 When We are Closed

If you need to seek urgent medical advice when the surgery is closed please phone 111. 

You may be asked to attend the treatment centre which is situated in Dorset County Hospital.  All phone conversations with NHS 111 are recorded as a matter of routine. 

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Calls free from landlines and mobile phones (although pay-as-you-go mobiles must have at least 1p credit).

Out-of-hours services are busy so please think carefully before asking to see a doctor and only do so if you cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.

In a genuine emergency you should call 999. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.

Running out of Medication?

Please do not go to A&E or Out of Hours if you run out of medication over a weekend or bank holiday.  They will not be able to supply you with your medication.  Please go to your usual pharmacy - they may give you sufficient supplies to see you through.  However, there may be a charge for this. 

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New Non-Emergency Patient Transport

Effective 1st July 2019

Please click onto the link below for details:

New Number for Non Emergency Transport

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New Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS)

We are upgrading to the next phase of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) which will mean that almost all our prescriptions will be processed electronically from 28^th January 2020.

The NHS advise that the most efficient way of patients receiving their repeat prescriptions is to have a nominated pharmacy. 

Electronic prescriptions help save the NHS money.

You will receive your prescriptions in the same way as you do now.

Read more about EPS on the NHS website.

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Cake and Book Sale in aid of Macmillan 27 Sept 2019

One in two of us will face cancer, and the money we raise at our Cake and Book Sale will help everyone with cancer to live life as fully as they can.

Thank you to everyone who donated or bought cakes and books.  We are delighted to announce that we raised a total of £346.51 for Macmillan. 

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Telephone Reception to book your flu vaccination.  2019/20 the following are eligible for flu vaccination:

• those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
• pregnant women
• those aged 65 years and over
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

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"My Journey with Type 2 Diabetes"

Please click onto the link below to read the article about the journey of one of our patients:

My Journey With Type 2 Diabetes

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Due to the increased volume of prescription requests, we are having to adhere to our official policy.  Therefore may we remind you to please allow two full working days for prescriptions to be processed and remember to take weekends and bank holidays into account. Requests for drugs that are not recognised as repeat treatment (i.e. they are not on your repeat list) may take longer to process as they require additional checking.  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

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NEW SMOKESTOP SERVICE AS OF

1ST APRIL 2019 

As of 1st April 2019 we have provided a comprehensive Smokestop  service.  This includes advice on how to give up smoking by the practice nurses.  Referral to the Live Well Dorset organisation can also offer advice (you can self refer to this service).  Ask for a Smokestop appointment with a nurse.

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Patient Participation Group

We have a Patient Participation Group (PPG) who meet at the surgery every couple of months.  The group is made up of patients of our surgery.   If you are interested in taking part, please contact the Surgery or fill in the "sign up " document below and bring to Reception and we will pass on to the PPG.

Patient Participation Sign Up

Patient Participation Group (PPG) Newsletter - Autumn 2019

Please click onto link below:

PPG NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2019

PPG NEWSLETTER JUNE 2019

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CQC INSPECTION

We had our CQC inspection on

11th January 2017. 

  Here is their final report .

CQC Report

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Dr Simon Phillips ran his first Ultramarathon on 4th May 2019 in support of Alzheimer's Research UK 

Many of you know I ran the London Marathon in 2016 in support of Alzheimer's Research UK. It was a fantastic day and an unforgettable experience. 

My father Robert had Alzheimer's disease and sadly passed away the following year. I want to raise more money for a charity that is committed to research into the condition and finding treatments to help patients.

This year, I've upped the ante and entered into my first Ultramarathon. This is a 106km (66 miles) run around the perimeter of the Isle of Wight. It's a very long way and it isn't exactly flat, with over 2100 meters of climbing. The time limit is 16 hours. I'd better get a move on!

Training has been going well. I've run up to 30 miles but that's still less than half the total distance of the main event. Eek!

I'll be carrying my water and food supplies for the trip, along with the mandatory safety equipment in my rucksack such as headtorch, whistle and waterproofs.

This will be a challenge and considerably outside of my comfort zone. There will be pain along the way but glory at the end!

Thank you for anything you can give to support Alzheimer's Research UK. You can donate through my Just Giving page at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simon-phillips56

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Simon

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We have been a Dementia Friendly GP Surgery since 2015 in recognition of the changes we implemented to improve support for the care of people with dementia and their carers. 

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We are working to improve access to appointments for our patients, in particular at evenings and weekends. If you would like to be offered one of these appointments, please ask. These appointments are at a different site e.g.  DCH.

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Our website address is: 

www.poundburydoctors.co.uk

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Transport Directory for Dorset

Please follow this link from Dorset for You if you need information about transport in the area:

https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/care-and-support-for-adults/information-and-advice-pages/community-transport.aspx

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 Get Well, Keep Well

We’re not just here for when you are unwell. Our team of healthcare professionals and back-up staff offer a number of clinics and services to promote good health and wellbeing whatever your medical condition.

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Join In

Comments and suggestions are always a great way of helping us continue to enhance the way we look after you.  We are always pleased to hear what our patients have to say about the service we give, whether it is to do with the GP, Receptionist etc.  You are invited to leave feedback for our surgery with NHS CHOICES by clicking onto this link:

 http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/dt12fd/Results/4/-2.45883679389954/50.7132301330566/4/0?distance=25