News

SURGERY & DISPENSARY CLOSURES

Weight Management Medication

New Weight Management Medication – Not Yet Available from Your GP

Please note that GP practices in Mid Dorset are not yet set up to provide the new NHS weight management medication, Tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro®), which is due to become available nationally from 23 June 2025.

While around 1,000 people in Dorset are expected to meet the national eligibility criteria for this treatment, local access will not begin until autumn 2025.

What’s Happening Locally?

NHS Dorset is currently working to commission a new community-based weight management service during the summer. This service is expected to launch later in 2025 and will provide access to Tirzepatide through a dedicated referral pathway – not directly through GP practices.

We kindly ask that you do not contact your GP about this medication at this time, as we are currently unable to offer advice, prescriptions, or referrals.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible under the national NHS guidelines, individuals must:

• Have a BMI of 40 kg/m² or more, or 37.5 kg/m² or more for people from minority ethnic backgrounds
  and
• Have at least four of the following long-term conditions:
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Dyslipidaemia
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obstructive sleep apnoea

This guidance comes from NHS England’s interim commissioning framework (based on NICE TA1026).

What to Expect

The upcoming local service is being designed to reflect public feedback, focusing on:

• Choice – both face-to-face and online options
• Accessibility – easy to access and inclusive support
• Equity – addressing health inequalities
• Integration – linking with behavioural and lifestyle support already in place in Dorset

Until the new service launches, existing weight management support remains available via LiveWell Dorset. We will share more information as soon as the service is ready.

For more information please visit: Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) – NHS Dorset

Only Order What You Need

Dorset's Only Order What You Need campaign is back!

Around 50,000 people in Dorset receive repeat GP prescriptions for multiple medications every month. However, it is estimated that 1.6 million items are wasted every year in Dorset alone! Last year's campaign helped save:

• 65,000 fewer prescriptions
• £450,000
• Nearly 300 tonnes GHG emissions
• Over 1000 hours of healthcare professional time

Thank you to everyone who have been mindful when ordering their prescriptions this past year.

When ordering repeat prescriptions, please can we ask that you:

• Check what medications you already have
• Only order what you need
• Speak to our Dispensary Team if you have any questions or need support
• Return unused or out of date medicines for safe disposal

Thank you for helping your community to reduce medicine waste.

The Dorchester Carers Nook - A New Space for Local Carers

We’re excited to announce the launch of Dorchester Carers Nook — a brand-new drop-in space created with carers, for carers. Whether you’re looking for a listening ear, practical advice, or just a quiet moment with a cuppa, this space is for you.

Launch Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday 9th July 2025
• Time: 10:00am–12:00pm and 2:00pm–4:00pm
• Location: Dorchester Connect Day Centre, Culliford Road North

No need to book — just drop in! Please note: There will be no cared-for person activity bookings at the launch event.

What Is the Carers Nook?

Caring can be both rewarding and incredibly challenging. The Dorchester Carers Nook offers a safe, welcoming environment where unpaid carers can:

• Meet other carers and build supportive connections
• Access trusted advice and local services
• Take a break and recharge in a relaxed setting

This initiative is a joint effort between Mid Dorset Primary Care Network (PCN), Age UK, Dorset Council, Dorchester Day Centre, and Carers Support Dorset — all coming together to support the incredible work of carers in our community.

What to Expect at the Launch

Come along to meet the teams behind the Carers Nook, find out what’s on offer at monthly sessions, learn how to access support and future activities, and connect with others who understand the ups and downs of caring. Hot drinks and friendly conversations guaranteed!

Monthly Drop-In Sessions Begin Soon

After the launch, the Carers Nook will be held on the second Wednesday of each month, offering:

• Carer Café
• Pre-booked activities for the cared-for person
• On-hand advice and support
• Access to local health, wellbeing, and community services

We’ll share more about the monthly themes and how to book soon.

If you’re a carer in Dorchester or nearby, we’d love to welcome you to this new space built just for you. For more information on the service visit - Homepage - Mid Dorset Primary Care Network or click here to watch a video.

DNA (Did Not Attend) Appointments

Between January 2025 and April 2025 189 patients did not attend their appointments, equalling a total of 53 hours 45 minutes of clinical time wasted.

• NURSE time wasted: 28 hours 40 minutes = Equivalent of 172 blood tests; or 57 asthma/COPD reviews; or 57 baby immunisations; or 86 cervical smear tests lost
• GP time wasted: 18 hours 40 minutes = 75 GP appointments lost
• HCA time wasted: 4 hours 5 minutes = Equivalent of 24 blood test appointments lost
• PHYSIO time wasted: 2 hours 20 minutes = 7 Physio appointments lost

Some of these appointments are up to 40 minutes long, so missing your appointment or forgetting to cancel means we waste valuable clinic time. For ONE missed Long Term Condition Review appointment, THREE people could have had blood test appointments, so it's important not to waste these slots.

If you can’t attend an appointment, please can we ask that you cancel it at least an hour before so someone else can receive the care they need. This can be done either over the phone or by replying CANCEL to your text reminder.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter - It could make a huge difference to another patient.

Surgery Facebook Page

Our surgery Facebook page (@miltonabbassurgery) is a great way to stay up to date with surgery news, closures, and helpful information to support you and your family’s health and wellbeing.

If you'd like to learn more about using it, why not book a session with one of the Digital Champions sessions run by Dorset Council? 

Digital Champions at Dorset Council are a group of friendly and patient volunteers who are good at explaining computers, without using jargon. They can help you to:

• set up and using devices including mobile phones, tablets and computers
• get online and show you how to do home shopping
• access digital NHS services like the NHS app or SystmOnline to be able to book appointments, view test results and consultation notes

Dorset Council run Digital Champion sessions in Blandford Library on Tuesdays from 10am till 12.25pm, and every other Friday 10.30am till 12noon. To book a session please call 01305 221048.

Autism Health Checks

We have recently launched Autism Health Checks at our surgery and are currently in the process of reaching out to patients. If you would be interested in knowing more, please contact the surgery either by phone or email miltonabbassurgery@nhs.net and ask for Anna (one of our Social Prescribers).

We are also trialling a new Autism Support Pathway to ensure everyone over 18yrs old receives comprehensive support during and after their assessment.

If you have any communication or adjustment needs related to autism, ADHD, or mental health that would make it easier for you to access our surgery, please let our Social Prescribers know. They’ll be happy to help you!

Covid & Flu Vaccinations 2025

We will be running our annual flu vaccination clinic for our over 65yrs old eligible patients on Saturday 4^th October 2025 at the Winterborne Whitechurch Village Hall. Please save this date as we would like as many of our eligible patients to attend; further details including whether we will also be doing Covid vaccinations will follow closer to the time.

Details of dates and locations for the flu vaccination clinic for our eligible patients under 64yrs old will also follow.

eConsults

Please can we ask that from now onwards, rather than use the surgery email address for clinical or medication queries, you complete an eConsult form online as the GP’s no longer take questions via email. This would also include requests for sick notes.

To access the eConsult service please click on the ‘Complete an eConsult’ button on the front page of our surgery website www.masurgery.co.uk. You can also submit an eConsult from the NHS app.

For more details on how to use eConsult please click here https://econsult.net/nhs-patients/how-to-use-econsult

This will help with efficiency and the GP workload. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.