kim.phillips

The results of the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey have been published, with Dorset scoring an excellent 8.9 out of 10. The results ranged from 8.3 to 9.2, with a national average of 8.8. The survey was completed by 1,381 cancer patients in Dorset who have attended Dorset County Hospital, Poole Hospital or Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospital. It asked for responses on the standard of care these patients received throughout their cancer journey - from initial investigations through to diagnosis, treatment and after-care. Patients ranked cancer services highly in a range of key areas, with all the Trusts scoring [...]

Norovirus or the ‘winter vomiting bug’ can be prevalent at this time of year: there have been several recently reported cases in Dorset. Norovirus can be spread through contact with an infected person, through contact with surfaces or objects that are contaminated with the virus, or by eating contaminated food or water. Please help us to stop the spread of infection by following the advice below. Do not visit healthcare settings if you, or someone you have been in contact with, has had diarrhoea and/or vomiting until 48 hours after symptoms have ceased. There is a real risk you could introduce [...]

Patients have been contacted to inform them of plans to ensure they can continue to access services ahead of upcoming changes to primary care at Lyme Regis Medical Centre. NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is in discussions with the current provider, Virgin Care, to continue providing the service on a temporary, fixed term contract beyond the end of its current contract in January. The CCG is developing plans for the future of the practice, ensuring primary care services will continue at the premises under new arrangements next year but no formal procurement process has been started yet. Patients registered with [...]

We are always mindful of getting out the right messages at the right time to patients and the public. Under normal circumstances, we work with practices to ensure patients are informed of any changes to their services in writing before making the information more widely available. However, in the case of Abbotsbury Road, which handed back its contract on 3 October, and will be closing at the end of March 2019, there was a very short time frame in which to do so. Shortly after we received notice of the practice handing back its contract, the practice began to receive calls [...]

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has recently received formal notice from the GP partners at Abbotsbury Road Surgery in Weymouth of their decision to terminate their contract.  This means that the practice will be closing on 31 March 2019. What happens next? Abbotsbury Road Surgery will continue to provide primary care services until the end of March 2019, at both the Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell sites. GP practices in the Weymouth and Portland area are developing plans to ensure the continuity of primary care services. This means that patients do not need to register elsewhere immediately, and should remain registered with [...]

We are disappointed that Ms Anna Hinsull and Defend Dorset NHS are seeking to commit more public funding to this case, when the High Court has already emphatically dismissed all claims brought forward during the Judicial Review (JR) earlier this year. In his judgement following the JR hearing, the judge concluded that the CCG had done what it was required to do during the Clinical Services Review (CSR) and consultation processes to comply with its legal obligations.  On the first occasion when the claimant sought permission to appeal the judge was very clear when giving his reasons for refusing permission that any [...]

NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is pleased that the judicial review has concluded and that all claims brought by Ms Anna Hinsull, a Swanage resident, have been dismissed. Tim Goodson, Chief Officer, said: ‘The court has confirmed that Dorset CCG has taken into consideration all the matters we were required to consider during the Clinical Services Review (CSR) and consultation processes. We hope that the High Court’s decision will reassure local people that the CCG has acted properly and in the interests of healthcare services in Dorset. The CSR and consultation established that we need to change the way local [...]

The Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed that the Freestyle Libre® device can be prescribed to monitor blood glucose levels for three limited groups of diabetic patients, who are under the care of specialist doctors and likely to benefit most from its use. The CCG’s Clinical Commissioning Committee met on 15 August 2018 and agreed the change after considering newly available information on use of the device. This information included an economic analysis carried out by Health Improvement Scotland, published in July 2018, and the commissioning arrangements in a number of other CCGs and regions in England, where a limited cohort [...]

The report written by the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield and published in Health Services and Delivery Research in August 2018, studied data on the residents of catchment areas of five Emergency Departments that were closed or downgraded (for example, to a minor injuries unit or urgent care centre) between 2009 and 2011. Assessing the impact of the reorganisation 24 months before, and 24 months after closure, the outcomes measured were ambulance service activity, number of emergency attendances at emergency departments and mortality. Whilst there was evidence to suggest increased activity by the ambulance service, there [...]

Healthcare professionals in Dorset are reminding people to take care with and around children during the hot weather. As well as being at risk of dehydration and sun damage, children are more at risk of accidents around the home when the weather is warmer. Falls account for the majority of non-fatal accidents around the home, and in Dorset we have seen an increase in toddlers falling from open windows who have subsequently required treatment during the warm weather. Wendy Thorogood, Designated Nurse Consultant for Children at Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, said, “More than two million children under the age of 15 [...]