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SURGERY & DISPENSARY CLOSURES

Meningitis Update: Important Information for Patients

You may have seen recent news about a meningitis outbreak in Kent. Tragically, this has resulted in the deaths of two young people. The cases have been identified as Meningitis B (MenB).

For information from the NHS included a link to updates on the current outbreak, please use this link: Meningitis - NHS

What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses. Bacterial meningitis, including MenB, can be very serious and requires urgent medical attention.

MenB spreads through close contact, including coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing utensils. Some people may carry the bacteria in their nose or throat without showing symptoms.

Meningitis B (MenB) – Key Facts

• MenB is currently the most common cause of serious bacterial meningitis in the UK.
• The MenB vaccine is part of the NHS childhood immunisation programme.
• It is routinely offered to:
• Babies at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year
• Children up to 2 years old as a catch-up if doses were missed
• Since its introduction in 2015, cases in vaccinated children have fallen significantly.

🚫 The MenB vaccine is not offered on the NHS to older children, teenagers, or adults.

Important Information About MenB Vaccination

We understand that some patients may be concerned following recent news coverage.

• You can check your or your child’s vaccination record and confirm whether you are up to date with all routine NHS vaccinations.
• However, we are not able to offer the MenB vaccine to patients who are not eligible under the NHS programme.
• This includes older children (aged 11+), teenagers, and adults who were not vaccinated as infants.
• We also do not provide MenB vaccination on a private basis.

Other Meningitis Vaccines

The NHS offers several vaccines that protect against different types of meningitis, including:

• Pneumococcal vaccine
• MMRV vaccine
• MenACWY vaccine (offered to teenagers and young adults up to age 25)

Symptoms to Be Aware Of

Meningitis symptoms can develop quickly and may include:

• High temperature
• Severe headache
• Neck stiffness
• Sensitivity to light
• Drowsiness, confusion, or difficulty waking
• Vomiting
• A rash that does not fade when pressed

Symptoms can appear in any order and may not all be present.

When to Seek Help

Meningitis can become life-threatening very quickly.

• Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you suspect meningitis or sepsis
• Call NHS 111 if you need urgent advice

Do not wait for a rash to appear before seeking medical help.

Prophylaxis

Generally school contacts would not be considered as close contacts (other than if they have been kissing or sexual contact). Presently the UKHSA has advised antibiotic prophylaxis to the University of Kent:  

• All students who live on Canterbury campus
• All staff who live or work in affected Halls of Residence
• Anyone who attended Club Chemistry on 5th, 6th and 7th March
• Close contacts who have been identified by UKHSA

Medication Queries

If you have any questions about your medication, please could you send them to our dispensary using the online request form (previously known as eConsult) and select “medication query”, rather than ringing the surgery to request a call back.

Using the online form helps us manage requests more efficiently, keeps a clear record of your query, and ensures we have all the information we need to help you quickly. This also applies to requests for medications that do not appear on your repeat list (acute prescriptions).

You do not need full online access to use this service as you can submit a request directly through our website – go to www.masurgery.co.uk and click on ‘Contact Us Online’. However, we would encourage patients to sign up for online services if possible, as it makes managing your healthcare even easier.

Thank you for your support in helping us provide the best possible service.

NHS App

At Milton Abbas Surgery, we’re always looking for ways to improve our service and make the best use of our time, especially as GP practices are under increasing pressure. Each week, many hours are spent by our admin team handling medication requests, sharing blood test results, and answering referral queries. This is time that could instead be used to support our GPs and clinicians in caring for patients.

To help with this, we’d like to encourage our patients to sign up for the NHS App. The app gives you easy, 24/7 access to a range of NHS services on your smartphone, computer or tablet, including booking and cancelling appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions, viewing parts of your health record, and receiving test results - all in one place. Using the NHS App not only makes things quicker and easier for you, it also allows our team to spend more time caring for patients and supporting those who can’t use online services.

You will need to sign up to Systmonline to be able to access the NHS app. To do this, you will need to bring in two forms of ID into the surgery – one needs to be photo ID and the other a utility bill showing your address – and then one of our admin team can set you up.

If you need help to set up and use the app, please contact Anna one of our Social Prescribers at the surgery who will be happy to talk you through it. We will also be running some support sessions in our surgery waiting room in the near future.

Patient Contact Details

Have you changed your landline, mobile or email address recently?

Please help us by making sure we have your most up-to-date contact details. Letting us know when your details change helps us take better care of you. We’ll be sending a text message to all patients shortly to check that our records are up to date.

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Contact Us Online

We’ve changed from eConsult to SystmConnect.

For queries or help regarding an existing medical condition or admin requests, please can we ask that you complete a SystmConnect form online as the GP’s do not take questions via our surgery email address. This would also include requests for sick notes.

To access the service, please click on the button on the front page of our website called "Contact Us Online". It works the same way as before – just fill in the form as you used to.

You don’t need online access to use it; we’ll match your form to your medical records. However, you can access the form through SystmOnline or the NHS app if you would prefer. We aim to reply within 2 working days.

Please note: This service is not for urgent issues or new medical problems. If you think you need a face-to-face appointment, the fastest way is to call the surgery.

DNA (Did Not Attend) Appointments

Between May 2025 and August 2025, 195 patients did not attend their appointments, equalling a total of 50 hours of clinical time wasted.

• NURSE time wasted: 23 hours 30 minutes = Equivalent of 141 blood tests; or 47 asthma/COPD reviews; or 47 baby immunisations; or 71 cervical smear tests lost
• GP time wasted: 18 hours 15 minutes = 73 GP appointments lost
• HCA time wasted: 5 hours 15 minutes = Equivalent of 32 blood test appointments lost
• PHYSIO time wasted: 3 hours = 9 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.