News

SURGERY CLOSURES

Christmas Survival 2024

As festive and exciting Christmas time is for many, there are ones who may be struggling with financial concerns or loneliness.

Please don't skip meals to pay bills. Families or individuals can be referred to local food banks (Blandford or Dorchester) by Kelly or Anna, our Social Prescriber's. Please call the surgery or send an email to miltonabbassurgery@nhs.net for their attention, and they will help in any way they can. There are also community fridges in Blandford and Dorchester, and you can just pop along to those without a referral.

There are also people out there who are ready and able to take your call:

• Samaritans 116 123
• Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 (24/7)
• Connection 0800 652 0190 (24/7 Helpline)
• Childline 0800 1111
• Cruse Bereavement 0808 808 1677
• The Silver Line 0800 4 70 80 90 (for anyone aged 55yrs or over)

You are not alone; we will get through this.

Milton Abbas Surgery Art Competition

Published on 18th Nov 2024

Carers Rights Day

Thursday 21st November 2024 is Carers Rights Day. A carer is a person of any age, who provides unpaid help and support to a person who could not manage without them. 

Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or a friend – many of whom don’t see themselves as carers, often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits.

This year’s theme is ‘recognising your rights’ – and our aim is to help carers recognise and understand their rights, and to access the support available to them, whenever they need it.

To find out more about your rights, go to www.carersuk.org

The Pan Dorset Carers Steering Group is a strategic group consisting of carers, the local authority and health who collaborate to shape services for carers in Dorset. They are looking to recruit carers of a range of ages, locations and experiences who can represent the views of carers, using their own life experience as well as representing the collective voice of carers. 

Please visit their website to find out more about the work of the group and the role of the carer members: www.ourdorset.org.uk/pdcsg. Closing date for expressions if interest is 9th December 2024.

Using the Right Service

Winter puts more pressure on our NHS services as some illnesses increase. The best way stay well this winter is to use the right service, at the right time.

→ visit your pharmacy for issues like colds or rashes
→ see your GP if symptoms persist or you have long term conditions
→ use 111 for quick, non-emergency advice
→ reserve 999 for serious, life, threatening situations

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.

Update to Prescriptions #HelpYourNHS June 2024

Prescriptions for 35 minor conditions are no longer available in Dorset such as hayfever, colds and indigestion. Help your NHS and visit your pharmacy or supermarket instead. #helpyournhs

For more information visit  www.nhsdorset.nhs.uk/helpyournhs or click here to download a leaflet.