Wareham Surgery
Streche Road, Wareham, BH20 4PG
Telephone: 01929 553444
We're open
Latest News:
Vacancy: Clinical Pharmacist Vacancy: Medical Receptionist 15 hours per week Dorset’s Spring 2023 COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign RUOK? Mental Health support for young people in Dorset Lewis Manning Day Hospice at Swanage and Wareham Rugby Club Dr Mark Williams Use the right service Information for parents re coughs, colds and sore throats Poole and Bournemouth Hospital NEW Outpatient Portal Premises Update
Coronavirus – useful information & previous notices
Covid Update
In response to the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday, 21 February regarding Covid-19 requirements, we have been advised by NHS England that ‘there are no changes to our Infection, Protection and Control requirements. This includes the requirements for staff, patients and visitors to wear a mask/face covering in healthcare settings.’ Thank you for your cooperation by continuing to wear a face covering when you attend the surgery.
28/02/2022
Covid update
Please click here for an update for all our patients regarding the Covid situation
27/01/22
Patients with Covid-19
Due to exceptionally high COVID levels, we are no longer able to contact each patient who tests positive whilst maintaining other important services.
If you test positive see: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-to-treat-symptoms-at-home/
Unvaccinated patients, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and some healthy patients can become unwell and require monitoring. If you have any concerns please call the Surgery or 111.
12/01/2022
Lateral Flow Tests
To help to minimise the risk of a Covid outbreak at the surgery, we are now requesting that patients do a Lateral Flow Device test prior to attending the surgery for their appointment. Patients need to have had a negative test in the previous 3 days. Please note, the surgery does not have a supply of LFD tests.
If patients are unable to test, they will be asked to wait outside until the clinician calls them in.
Patients will also be asked to confirm that they do not have any specific symptoms of Covid https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/main-symptoms/
The main symptoms of the Omicron variant are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat.
There is availability for Covid vaccinations at Wareham Hospital. If you have not received a link from us to book, please check availability on the National Booking System or call 119.
Thank you
04/01/22
The UK has now moved to level 4 of Coronavirus risk as the ‘Omicron’ variant is sweeping the country. It is highly infectious with a current doubling of cases every 2-3 days. As a result the Secretary of State has told General Practice to go onto an urgent only footing and any time freed up used to support local vaccination arrangements.
We have been challenged to try and vaccinate most adults by the New Year which is a mammoth task! In order to free up clinical staff to vaccinate and protect you and our staff from infection we are changing to dealing with urgent cases only. Routine appointments will be postponed until at least the New Year when the situation will be reviewed.
If you have an acute illness or problem please continue to use e-consult or phone to contact us and your problem will be triaged and dealt with accordingly.
Thank you for your support.
15.12.21
COVID VACCINATION UPDATE
We are currently sending invites for patients to book themselves an appointment for the Covid booster. We are inviting by order of age and will contact you in due course. Invites will be sent by SMS. If you do not have a mobile, we will try and contact you by landline or by letter. There are still a few national booking system slots released on a regular basis too. The clinic is trying to increase capacity.
Please note, our phone lines are exceptionally busy at the moment, please try to avoid calling about the Covid vaccination. There is a lot of information available online https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/
The Purbeck PCN vaccination hub helpline is 01929 557559 or 01929 557589.
Please be patient.
Thank you
01/12/2021
COVID BOOSTERS
Appointment letters have been sent out to patients aged over 80 who are due a booster in the next two weeks. The letter should arrive early next week.
For other patients, you can book your COVID-19 booster vaccine dose online if you are :
- a frontline health or social care worker
- aged 50 and over
- aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts you at high risk from COVID-19
- You’ll only be able to book an appointment for a booster dose if it’s been at least 6 months (180 days) since your 2nd dose of the vaccine.
- You need to wait 4 weeks (28 days) before booking if you’ve had a positive COVID-19 test, starting from the date you had the test.
- Purbeck CVP at Wareham Hospital is your local choice.
07/10/2021
IMPORTANT Notice to patients registered at Wareham Surgery
It is likely that we are about to face the most challenging time in the pandemic when social distancing measures are lifted by the Government.
We are already experiencing a rise in Covid infection rates across Dorset and at present have staff members having to self-isolate due to contact with people who have tested positive for Covid.
We know that the general public has been told that they can expect to see a GP or health professional face to face. However, in order to maintain our workforce and to keep patients safe, we will continue to only see patients face to face if it is completely necessary. Other contacts will either be by telephone, SMS or Online Access messaging https://warehamsurgery.nhs.uk/online-access/
We are still required to maintain social distancing measures in healthcare settings which includes using PPE and wiping down surfaces between each patient contact. This means that we cannot see as many patients as we would have before the pandemic.
We are working extremely hard to try and meet the unprecedented demand on the service. Please consider finding solutions elsewhere.
The local pharmacy can help you with the following conditions:
- Sore throats
- Coughs, colds and flu (after a Covid test)
- Tummy troubles
- Aches and pains
- Itchy eyes
- Sleeping problems
- Athlete’s foot
- Mouth ulcers
- Constipation and diarrhoea
- Nail problems
- Ear wax
- Hayfever
- Haemorrhoids
Boots Pharmacy 01929 552737
Sandford Pharmacy 01929 551164
Day Lewis Pharmacy 01929 552384
24/7 mental health support line (Connections) – 0300 123 5440
MIU Swanage – ring 111 to book an appointment
Urgent eye problems – 0800 112 0070
Steps to Wellbeing – https://www.steps2wellbeing.co.uk/
NHS.uk – https://www.nhs.uk/
Healthier Together – https://what0-18.nhs.uk/
MSK Dorset – https://www.mskdorset.nhs.uk/
Thank you for your cooperation.
29/06/2021
PLEASE NOTE PREVIOUS ADVICE MAY HAVE BEEN SUPERSEDED
Medical settings are a higher risk environment and will need to be subject to more control measures than other public facilities.
We are acting very cautiously and are maintaining:
- Social distancing
- Face coverings
- PPE for healthcare staff
The delta variant is more transmissible and patients may come to the surgery when they are contagious.
It is our duty to do all we can to keep both our patients and our staff safe whilst we deliver our care.
Thank you
Wareham Surgery GPs
14/07/2021
Covid vaccination update
All over 18s are now eligible for the Covid vaccination. Invites have been sent to patients who have a mobile phone number on our system. For anyone else, you will be able to book via the National Booking Service online https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or by contacting 119.
If you are booking via the National Booking Service, you must book your second dose, even if it is at another venue, to complete the booking. You will be able to change the venue nearer the time.
Please direct specific enquires to the Covid Vaccination Clinic helpline, telephone numbers 01929 557559 and 01929 557589
The Purbeck PCN Vaccination clinic has given over 38,000 vaccinations. Thank you for your help and cooperation in making this achievement possible.
23/06/21
CVP clinic update
The clinics at Wareham Hospital are now available to book for eligible patients via the National Booking Service online https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or by calling 119.
01/06/2021
CVP clinic update
Clinics are currently running for the second Covid vaccinations. As per Government guidance these are done between 11 and 12 weeks.
For those patients waiting for their second appointment, you will be invited to book as soon as the clinic has confirmation of the vaccine delivery, usually around the 10-week mark. Thank you for your patience.
Please note, this is very important, it is not possible to move any second appointments unless there are medical reasons to do so. It is most important that everyone has their second vaccination at the right time, but if you are going away, you will need to cancel your original appointment first and then rebook on the National Booking System. We understand if you are travelling within the UK that you should be able to book elsewhere in the country. The CVP helpdesk for any queries please dial 01929 557559
All our patients in Cohorts 1 – 9 have been invited (all over 50-year olds, health and social care workers and those with an underlying health conditions that increases their risk of serious disease and mortality). If you are in this cohort and have not received an invite, contact us, preferably with a mobile telephone number. If you have received a text invite and do not want the vaccination, please click on the link to decline. You can change your mind at any time, subject to vaccine availability.
Updated 14/05/21
CVP clinic update
We are currently running clinics for the second Covid vaccinations. As per Government guidance these are done between 11 and 12 weeks.
Appointments have been published on our SMS booking system for first vaccinations on Tuesday 11 May 2021. Please follow the original link in your SMS invite to book.
For those patients waiting for their second appointment, we will invite you to book as soon as we have confirmation of the vaccine delivery, usually around the 10-week mark. Thank you for your patience.
Please note, this is very important, we are unable to move any second appointments unless there are medical reasons to do so. We feel it is most important that everyone has their second vaccination at the right time, but if you are going away, you will need to cancel your original appointment first and then rebook on the National Booking System. We understand if you are travelling within the UK that you should be able to book elsewhere in the country. The CVP helpdesk for any queries please dial 01929 557559
THIS WEEK’S CLINICS
Tuesday 4th May
Wednesday 5th May
Thursday 6th May
Friday 7th May
Saturday 8th May
Second AstraZeneca & Pfizer vaccinations
Updated 06/05/21
THIS WEEK’S CLINICS
Tuesday 20th April
Wednesday 21st April
Thursday 22nd April
Second AstraZeneca vaccinations
Updated 19/04/21
Thank you to all our patients who have booked appointments at the COVID vaccination clinic and attended.
For those patients who have not yet been given a second appointment, this should be 11-12 weeks after your first vaccine, so please keep this time free. We will be unable to accommodate requests to move appointments due to holidays or anything not related to health.
If you have your second appointment booked already, we may need to bring this forward a few days subject to delivery of the Pfizer vaccine, so please do not book holiday during this time. We will contact you closer to the time if this is the case.
The organisation of the COVID vaccination programme and deliveries of the vaccine has been extremely complex. We are grateful for your support and patience at this time.
31/03/21
COVID VACCINATION PROGRAMME UPDATE
IMPORTANT: SECOND Pfizer Vaccine Clinics Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th March
The appointments for Thursday 25th, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th March SECOND Pfizer vaccine are being rescheduled for Thursday 8th, Friday 9th and Saturday 10th April. Patients who have appointments for the second vaccination are being asked to come at the same time as their original booking. We are contacting patients to advise of this change but if this affects you, please do not come this week. This is due to the Government guidance which changed after the first clinics were booked and letters sent out containing both appointments. The Purbeck PCN apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.
Original appointment date New appointment date
Thursday, 25th March Thursday, 8th April
Friday, 26th March Friday, 9th April
Saturday, 27th March Saturday, 10th April
THE APPOINTMENT TIME WILL REMAIN THE SAME
NB: THIS AFFECTS SECOND APPOINTMENTS ONLY. IF YOU HAVE A DATE FOR THE FIRST VACCINE THIS WEEK, PLEASE KEEP IT
Clinic Update
We have invited all our patients in Cohorts 1 – 9 (all over 50-year olds, health and social care workers and those with an underlying health conditions that increases their risk of serious disease and mortality). If you are in this cohort and have not received an invite, please email wareham.surgery@nhs.uk, preferably with a mobile telephone number. If you have received a text invite and do not want the vaccination, please click on the link to decline. You can change your mind at any time, subject to vaccine availability.
Updated 23/03/21
COVID-19 vaccination clinic update
Vaccinations: Next clinic 26/03/21
Next invites going out to: 50-54 year olds
We are about to invite the 50-54 age group for their COVID-19 vaccination at Wareham Hospital. The next clinic is on Friday 26 March 2021. If you are aged 55 or over and have not received an invite, please contact the surgery. We have tried to invite everyone aged over 55 and those with underlying health conditions. We will contact you with a text message containing a link to book the appointment. If you do not have a mobile phone, we will either email you or send a letter asking you to contact us or we will try to call you on your landline. Please look out for our contact and please remember to wear a mask to the appointment.
Some of you will be aware that appointments had to be changed last week. This was due to the delivery of the vaccine and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. This is incredibly frustrating for both surgery staff and the vaccine clinic staff but is completely beyond our control. Please be aware that future appointments may have to be changed for the same reasons, so please look out for text messages, and keep an eye on our website and our Facebook page.
15/03/2021
WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF ENQUIRIES ABOUT ADDING PATIENTS TO THE COVID SPARE VACCINE LIST. THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME IS BEING RUN BY THE PURBECK PCN AND INVITATIONS ARE BEING SENT ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE. THERE IS NO SPARE VACCINE LIST OUTSIDE OF THE RECOGNISED COHORTS.
WE ASK YOU TO BE PATIENT AND WAIT FOR YOUR INVITATION. RESPONDING TO QUERIES IS TAKING AN EXCEPTIONAL AMOUNT OF TIME AND IMPACTING ON NORMAL SERVICE
Thank you
Vaccinations: Next clinic 12.03.21
Current cohort: 16-64 year olds with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality and 60-64 year olds
Next invites going out to: 55-59 year olds
Invitations will be sent by SMS – please click on the link to book your appointment. Please ensure we have an up to date mobile number. If you don’t have a mobile, we will contact you, either by telephone or letter. Please remember to wear a mask to the appointment.
03.03.21
Vaccinations: Next clinic 02.03.21
Current cohort: 16-64 year olds with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
Next invites going out to: 60-64 year olds
Invitations will be sent by SMS – please click on the link to book your appointment. Please ensure we have an up to date mobile number. If you don’t have a mobile, we will contact you to book your appointment. Please remember to wear a mask to your appointment.
01.03.21
Wareham Surgery is about to invite patients aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. These will be prioritised by age. Wareham is trialling an SMS booking system, so please check your mobile phone for messages if you have one. Patients without a mobile phone will be contacted another way. If you do not want the vaccine, please decline so we don’t keep contacting you.
The next clinic will be on Tuesday 23rd February. Other clinics will become available at a later date when we know about vaccine delivery, but it is important that patients are vaccinated as soon as possible, so please try to book an appointment. We are still currently in lockdown but appreciate that patients may be working. Employers should allow time off for patients to get their vaccine.
Please be advised that queueing is necessary and sometimes this is outside. Please dress accordingly.
Information correct at time of publishing: 17.02.21
Vaccinations: Clinics currently running
Current cohort: Clinically Extremely Vulnerable and 65-69
Next invites going out to: 16-64 year olds with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
We plan to be moving to an online booking service. Please ensure we have an up to date mobile number. If you don’t have a mobile, we will contact you to book your appointment.
17.02.21
Dear Patient
We are all excited to hear about the progress of the rolling out of the Covid vaccine and look forward to this improving the quality of life for all of us.
We know that you, like us, are struggling with the continued confines imposed upon us all due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Everyone is trying to make the best of the situation and, as a practice, we are committed to caring for you in the best possible way whilst keeping both you and our team safe.
To keep you as informed as possible, we will update these messages frequently as we become aware of more information from NHS England:
- The vaccines are still being rolled out in a very strict order.
- Please only book one appointment for your Covid vaccine.
- Please do make sure you keep your vaccine appointment. If you are unable to attend, please telephone the venue.
- It is very important that no vaccines go to waste due to patients not attending for their appointment.
- Before and after your vaccine you must
wash your hands
wear a face mask as advised
keep 2 metres apart
Thank you for your patience
Wareham Surgery GPs
04.02.21
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE
The Covid vaccination clinics are well under way and we are about to start inviting the next age cohort of over 75s. Please be aware that this is a very busy time for us and we are under immense time pressure. The more phone calls and emails we get enquiring about the vaccine, the longer it will take us to get the invites out to patients. Your co-operation in letting us get on with the job is invaluable.
Please note, if you have online access to your medical records, you may see that you were automatically coded as Did Not Attend after you have attended the clinic. This is due to the vaccine information being recorded via a different system. You do not need to worry about this technical issue. The vaccination will be recorded on every record.
Please keep your appointment at Wareham Hospital, if you have been sent one. If you are in one of the priority groups Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: advice from the JCVI, 30 December 2020 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) you will receive an invitation from us in due course.
We understand that NHS England are sending letters out to patients inviting them to attend the Mass Vaccination Centre at the BIC in Bournemouth. If you prefer to travel there, follow their instructions making sure you cancel any Covid vaccination appointments we may have made for you. (Please note, we are not suggesting that you travel, but some patients may work in Bournemouth and find it more convenient.)
Finally, thank you for not phoning the surgery to enquire about Covid vaccination appointments. We hope you are all keeping safe and well.
Update 19.01.20 (20:30)
Important information about the service and Covid
We are striving to provide as normal a service as possible alongside minimising the risk of spreading coronavirus. Please be aware that the virus is still present and we still need to be very cautious. Face to face contacts take up a lot of extra time as the GP or nurse has to put on PPE before seeing the patient and safely remove it afterwards and clean down all the surfaces before seeing the next patient. We ask you to wear a face covering to protect others.
You will not be able to phone and book an appointment without being assessed by a GP over the phone. Please continue to use eConsult, particularly if it is the first time you are contacting the doctor or nurse about a problem. If you have already spoken to a doctor or nurse about the problem, we will accept email communications at Please put in the subject line what you hope to achieve with the contact, e.g. prescription, follow-up advice. Do not put personal confidential data in the subject line. If you have no internet access, please phone the surgery to book a telephone consultation.
All patients will be triaged before being invited to attend the practice. Please note, you may wait for 2-3 weeks for a routine appointment. If you develop symptoms of coronavirus (fever or cough or loss of taste or sense of smell) before your appointment, please contact the surgery to check whether it is still safe to come in. If you attend the practice, please do not come before your appointment time or you will be asked to wait outside. Use the intercom to let us know you have arrived. You will be asked to wear a face covering before entering the building. Please attend alone where possible, and only come with one other person if it is necessary. There is hand sanitiser in the waiting room and we ask you to maintain social distancing while waiting. All these measures are in place for the safety of patients and staff.
It is safer for everyone if you can avoid coming to the practice, so please order repeat prescriptions using Online Access, via the chemist
We appreciate your co-operation in these challenging times.
We are striving to provide as normal a service as possible alongside minimising the risk of spreading coronavirus. In spite of the relaxation of the lockdown, please be aware that the virus is still present and we still need to be very cautious. Face to face contacts take up a lot of extra time as the GP or nurse has to put on PPE before seeing the patient and safely remove it afterwards and clean down all the surfaces before seeing the next patient. We ask you to wear a face covering to protect others.
You will not be able to phone and book an appointment without being assessed by a GP over the phone. Please continue to use eConsult, available Monday 00:00 – Friday 18:30, particularly if it is the first time you are contacting the doctor or nurse about a problem. If you have already spoken to a doctor or nurse about the problem, we will accept email communications at Please put in the subject line what you hope to achieve with the contact, e.g. prescription, follow-up advice. Do not put personal confidential data in the subject line. If you have no internet access, please phone the surgery to book a telephone consultation.
All patients will be triaged before being invited to attend the practice. If you develop symptoms of coronavirus (fever or cough or loss of taste or sense of smell) before your appointment, please contact the surgery to check whether it is still safe to come in. If you attend the practice, please use the intercom to let us know you have arrived. You will be asked to wear a face covering before entering the building. Please attend alone where possible, and only come with one other person if it is necessary. There is hand sanitiser in the waiting room and we ask you to maintain social distancing while waiting. All these measures are in place for the safety of patients and staff.
It is safer for everyone if you can avoid coming to the practice, so please order repeat prescriptions using online access, via the chemist or by email
We appreciate your co-operation in these challenging times.
COVID-19 antibody tests
NHS staff in Dorset are being tested as part of the government’s national antibody testing programme.
The antibody tests are used to see if someone has previously had the virus. It is different from the general test for COVID-19 as it is a blood test and not a swab test.
The test lets us know if someone has had the virus and developed antibodies, but it does not tell us if someone is immune to COVID-19.
Over the next few weeks we are testing all NHS staff in Dorset using our specialist lab at Poole Hospital. The testing will then be rolled out to social care staff.
If you receive a positive antibody result it does not mean that you’re immune, or that you cannot pass on the virus to others. It also does not mean that you can ignore social distancing measures.
Clinicians may be able to request a test for patients in both hospital and social care settings if they think it’s appropriate.
There is more information about antibody testing on the .Gov website.
Transitions and frustrations: how do we move forward? please see the full article here
IMPORTANT: Wearing of Face Masks
If you are given an appointment to attend the practice, please bring something to cover your own face for further protection.
Our clinical staff will be wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when seeing patients face to face.
Please click on the link for Government guidance.
The government have provided useful guidance for employees. If you require advice on working during Covid-19, or if you are looking for an isolation note for your employer, please visit this site:
Covid App
Please help slow the spread of Covid-19 by using this symptom checker app. It takes less than a minute to report each day, whether you have symptoms or not. Click on the link for further information and to download the app https://covid.joinzoe.com/ You can also see what the Covid-19 situation is in your area. Thank you.
Updated 19.04.2020
Click on the following link for help on what to tell your children about coronavirus Answering children’s questions about the Coronavirus
Useful information available
There’s lots of information on the Dorset Council website, this includes contact information and ideas for things to do, including for children when they’re at home. Here are some of the links:
- Online resources for families https://mailchi.mp/dorsetcouncil/online-resources
- Schools and families: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/emergencies-severe-weather/emergencies/coronavirus/schools-and-families.aspx
- Information and landing page: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/emergencies-severe-weather/emergencies/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19.asp
- Co-ordinated Community Response: Information about our co-ordinated community response is available online here.
As you may be aware, we are managing patients remotely as far as is possible. This includes telephone consultations, video consultations, and advice being given via SMS or email. The phone lines are at full capacity so there may be some delay in responding to calls. Please use eConsult for all routine requests. This can be accessed via our website www.warehamsurgery.nhs.uk
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. The Government announced on 17th March that: -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
Wareham Surgery will be triaging all patient requests for appointments. Please use eConsult in the first instance. This helps the doctor to assess your needs. If your problem can be managed with a quick response, we will email or send an SMS text. You may receive a telephone call at some point, but not necessarily at an appointed time. The doctors will attempt to call you twice, so please be prepared to answer if you have requested a call. Please note, the number may come up as withheld. Thank you for helping us to help you.
Please click here for advice on how to take care of yourself and others with Coronavirus
For the latest Covid-19 advice please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
Due to concerns regarding Coronavirus, Wareham Surgery will be screening patients who want to be seen on the day. If you think you may have Coronavirus, stay home and go to this website https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19 Please make sure we have up to date contact details for you, this will make it easier for us to update you on the current situation. If you have an email address and/or you consent to SMS please let us know. You can update this online if you have access. PLEASE NOTE ONLINE BOOKING IS UNAVAILABLE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK – PLEASE USE eCONSULT TO ACCESS SERVICES
Opening Times
- Monday
08:30 until 13:00
14:00 until 18:30 - Tuesday
08:30 until 13:00
14:00 until 18:30 - Wednesday
08:30 until 13:00
14:00 until 18:30 - Thursday
08:30 until 13:00
14:00 until 18:30 - Friday
08:30 until 13:00
14:00 until 18:30 - Saturday
CLOSED - Sunday
CLOSED
Useful Links
