Wareham Healthcare Forum Group

A group of representatives with appropriate experience from the local community have formed a group called the Wareham Healthcare Forum Group.  The group members are:

  • Sheila Lancefield (Chair)
  • Gabrielle Henstridge
  • Mary Wainwright
  • Yvonne Hunter
  • Jayne Hutchings (ex-officio)
  • Chris Auburn
  • Anne Laugharne
  • Peter Salmon

Although the Forum managed to get the inside of the surgery building refurbished, it was clear that the actual building was well past its “best-by” date. In 2015, the Chair started approaching the then Dorset County Council to see if the old Middle School grounds could be used for a new surgery building. Since then, it became clear that the Hospital outpatients’ clinics and the Health and Social team could all be based, with the Wareham Surgery team, in a HUB on that land.  Members of the Forum and the Chair, who are also members of the Friends of Wareham Hospital, have attended meetings, sat on Board meetings, written letters and generally kept the pressure up to persuade the now Dorset Council, Dorset Healthcare Trust and the CCG to bring about their dream of a fully integrated HUB. Now five years on, we await a decision about this Hub.

Since the six GP Surgeries form a Purbeck Network, the PPGs have also linked up. They cover Corfe Castle, Swanage, Sandford, Wool, Bere Regis and of course Wareham. The Leads of these PPGs communicate by email and meet on a regular basis. In that way, projects that benefit the people of Purbeck can be supported, the latest of which is the successful Lindsay Leg Club which meets weekly and where the members can be treated for their leg ulcers in a social setting rather than coming to their surgery.

You may see some of the Forum members at the Flu Clinics in autumn, gathering information forms and chatting while you wait.

We also have a Virtual PPG where no meetings are held but the members are kept up to date with network news and they also communicate by email. If you are interested in joining this virtual group, there is a form you can access on the website.

In the summer of 2020, we started a Purbeck Youth PPG to encourage young people aged 13-18 to get involved in shaping services. We would welcome more members.