We’d like to ask for your help 

As a valued patient, we wanted to share our current position and ask for your understanding as we head into winter. 

The NHS is struggling to cope with demand throughout the UK; we’re seeing more patients than ever before and often with fewer staff.  We’re also unable to recruit and retain into certain positions due to workload pressures and increasing patient demands.  Ongoing and increasing verbal and physical abuse from patients is driving staff to leave primary care completely. 

It’s been widely reported in the media that access to healthcare services is difficult.  Sadly, it is likely that this will be increasingly challenging during the winter months.  We just want to explain our position to you and reassure you that we’re doing all we can to support our patients. 

The Atrium Health Centre promises that our clinical and administrative teams: 

• Will continue to support your needs as promptly and safely as we can while providing the highest-quality care
• Understand that many of our patients are now suffering with more healthcare-related problems and have had these longer due to the NHS backlog in secondary care and community settings
• Will promote efficiency and try to recruit where there are any staffing gaps
• Will play their part in ensuring they’re here for you and the community 

However, we also ask that you please help us by showing our staff respect. 

Recent statistics from the Institute of General Practice Managers (IGPM) show that there has been a huge surge in primary care staff receiving abuse and we need to highlight our concerns to you. Please note: 

• 78% of staff have reported that they have received either threatening behaviour or racist or sexist abuse from patients
• 83% of all GP practices have needed to call the police because of a patient’s unwarranted behaviour; in some extreme cases, staff have been hospitalised 

We’re heading into the busiest time of the year and we’re all here to ensure that our patients are the priority. 

Thank you for working with us to create a safe, respectful healthcare environment.

Yours faithfully

The Partners & Staff

NHS Dorset would like to hear from patient's and parent's/carer's experience of learning disability health checks to help them make improvements and share positive experiences. They want all checks to be good, inclusive, supportive and accessible.

If you are over the age of 14 years and have had your annual learning disability health check, your feedback is very welcome. A parent/carer may wish to provide feedback too.

The survey has been created in 2 formats:

Survey Monkey online link Your Annual Health Check Survey (surveymonkey.co.uk)

Easy Read printable version - click here.

The NHS Dorset Learning Disability Health Check Lead will be looking at all feedback received and using it to make improvements and share good practice.

An NHS Health Check is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It's designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. We need your help to ensure this service is being delivered in the best possible way! Click here to take a short survey and share your thoughts now.

Flu & Covid Vaccinations are available to book. 

Patients who are:

• Over the age of 65
• Aged 18-65 and in a clinical risk group
• A carer
• A healthcare worker 

can book into one of our Flu & Covid vaccination clinics at both the Atrium and Crossways surgeries.  Please call reception after 10:30am to make your appointment. 

We are offering weekday, Saturday and evening clinics from mid-September onwards. 

If you are unsure if you fit into these groups, please click here for further information or speak to one of our reception staff who will check your medical record. 

If you are between the ages of 50 & 64 (with no other underlying medical condition), we will be contacting you after the 15th October to come in for your vaccine as per current government guidance.  Please do not call us to book an appointment before this date as we are unable to provide.

Across Dorset, the Covid-19 Vaccination Service is being run by Dorset HealthCare. Please click here to read more about the programme, including who is eligible, where to attend and other information.

We have updated our appointment system to allow you to pre-book Face-to-Face appointments with the GPs.

Please note however, that due to time pressures these appointments are for one problem only; if you need to discuss multiple problems you will have to book additional appointments.

Thank you

The Atrium Partners

We are looking for volunteer drivers to deliver prescriptions to our Crossways patients.  If you can drive and give us a few hours a week of your time to drive around Crossways and nearby villages to help our more vulnerable and elderly patients please call or email Alison Follis on 01305 251545 or alison.follis@dorsetgp.nhs.uk

Thank you