Click here for more information

Please be aware that both Forestside Medical Practice and the Urgent Care Centre will be closed for the Easter bank holidays, Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April. If you need medical advice during this time please contact 111 or in the case of an emergency dial 999.

Below are the closest Pharmacies that will be open during the bank holidays. Alternatively, click here for the full list of Hampshire Pharmacies that will be open.

Dear patients, we are sad to inform you that Dr Calinas will be leaving the practice at the end of February, we thank him for all his efforts in providing care to our patients. He will be pursuing his interests in chronic pain. All of the clinicians and staff at Forestside wish him well. 

On a more positive note, we welcome Dr Oladele, formerly our Registrar, to the team as a salaried GP.

Regards, The Partners at Forestside.

Wear it Pink for Breast Cancer

Our staff and clinicians are wearing pink this week to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise money for breast cancer research.

Click here for more information about breast cancer

Dear Patients, we have clinicians that are unwell, unfortunately, this means we are having to cancel clinics. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes, both to those that had an appointment booked and for the knock on effect this will cause to the number of appointments available. Please do not get annoyed with our reception staff, they are working extremely hard under exceedingly difficult circumstances. Thank you for your understanding.

Please do not enter the surgery if you feel you may have covid symptoms; make our staff aware and the clinician will either speak to you over the phone, see you in your car or bring you in to an isolated room.

Thank you,

The Partners at Forestside

Click here to read the latest update regarding flu and covid vaccinations

Dear Patients,

Its 09:15 on Friday 14th April and already 3 patients have not turned up for their appointments to see a GP.

I am writing this letter as the partners, and I need to ask for your support in improving efficiency and safety of the services we can offer our patients.

The pressure placed on all GP surgeries now due to increasing list sizes, an ageing population, a shortage of clinicians and the added demand we now face due to concerns raised by the media about doctors strikes, cancelled hospital appointments and more as you can imagine it’s hard.

As a result, we are seeing demand for same-day appointments increase hugely and we simply cannot supply enough urgent appointments to everyone without moving doctors, cancelling routine appointments, and compromising the wellbeing of all our GPs, clinicians, and practice staff.

This has created high call volumes, difficulty getting through to the surgery and longer waiting times to be seen. There are safety measures in place for varying professionals relating to working hours and workloads protecting people such as lorry drivers or pilots to keep people safe, but this does not apply to GPs, and we need to ensure that we keep a safe working environment for the doctors and staff here at Forestside.

Trying to get the correct balance of urgent and routine appointments in place has always been a challenge but with an increased volume of calls/workload inevitably waiting times are longer for patients getting through to the surgery. We understand this is frustrating for you and for our team. Patients with very urgent medical needs will always need to be seen quickly and we believe as a patient you would support our view that it is vital, we continue to offer this which is why we are asking for your help going forward.

• If you are contacting the practice with routine queries, please contact us between Tuesday and Friday as we would like to keep our phone lines as free as possible on Mondays which is our busiest day for urgent, same-day requests.
• Consider self-care where possible. Many routine illnesses clear themselves within days and our colleagues in the local pharmacies can offer a good service of advice and guidance on over-the-counter remedies.
• Please be aware that it is not only our clinical staff who are feeling these pressures, our reception, administration, and management teams are also dealing with an unprecedented workload, they are over tired and even stressed and several have been subjected to abuse from a very small minority of patients in recent days. We are asking for your support here, that you please treat all our staff & doctors with respect as we are all committed to providing our patients with the highest level of care possible.
• Please be aware that shouting at our staff is not helpful and will not get you seen any sooner. If this continues you will be asked to leave, or we will end the telephone call. If this continues it is likely the staff will look for work elsewhere and then where will GP surgeries be!
• Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend giving us reasonable notice. This allows us to offer your appointment to someone else. We have between 7-18 appointments each day where patients did not attend. This has increased substantially in recent weeks. If you cannot get through on the phone to cancel your appointment email us at whccg.forestsidemedicalpractice@nhs.net
• Please read your appointment reminder- text messages which state where your appointment is booked so that you attend the right site for routine appointments. Urgent same day appointments are generally at Hythe hospital unless your GP requests you attend the surgery. Please check this before you hang up the phone as this could lead to missed appointments or further delays when turning up at the wrong site.
• Consider whether your need is truly “urgent” that day. Our receptionists need to ask you about your condition so that they can signpost you to the correct clinician or service to ensure valuable urgent same day appointment slots are kept free. Check out our websites to see alternative healthcare providers like pharmacists or 111.
• If you have young children check out the healthier together website or download their app which can help with:
  1. My pregnancy – New Parents
  2. My baby under 3 months
  3. Children/Young people
  4. Mental Health & Wellbeing

Simple changes that you can make will really help us to offer more appointments four our patients and keep our staff well. Face to face appointments between doctors and patients are invaluable but are only the “tip of the iceberg” of a GP Practice work. You may be surprised by the various tasks our clinicians have to perform.

The Partners and I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this letter and for the support we have from so many of our patients illustrated by your positive feedback and kind words which always make a real difference to us all here at Forestside.

Kind regards,
Julie Stewart
Practice Manager
On behalf the Partners – Doctors Woollett, Joseph, Lee-Robichaud, Powell & Calinas Correia

Dear Patients,

We are currently short of staff due to sickness and leave. Difficult decisions have had to be made, to support Urgent Care each day whilst keeping the practice open and able to provide a safe service for our patients.

Unfortunately, for patients this means we are having to cancel routine clinics in the first instance.  Going forward we will continue to evaluate our staffing levels and the appointments available to patients each day; however, this may bring about longer waiting times over the telephone and queues at the reception hatch.

Please do not get annoyed with our reception staff, they are working extremely hard under exceedingly difficult circumstances.

Currently twenty-four patients have not turned up for their appointments in the last 3 days. They also have not made us away they could not attend. This prevented us from being able to offer twenty-four patients an appointment.  Please help us by letting us know in advance if you cannot attend.

If you have a medical emergency such as chest pain, difficulties breathing, or loss of blood please dial 999.

If you feel seriously unwell, please continue to let our reception team know and we will try to help you. Do not be frightened to contact the surgery in the normal way on 02380 844546.

If you have a high temperature, cough, fever, or any flu like symptoms. Please do not enter the surgery if you feel you may have covid symptoms, make our staff aware and the clinician will either speak to you over the phone, see you in your car or bring you in to an isolated room.

We cannot accept clinical problems sent through to our practice email account as this is not safe, it is not constantly manned.

We are very frustrated with the current situation and the changes we have had to make. We know how difficult it has been for patients trying to access GP services and that this is another setback.

Kind regards

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

24^th March 2023

The entire NHS is under pressure at the moment. Please read this message from Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS on how you can help.

CQC Mission statement - Statement of Purpose - Forestside Medical Practice

There are currently high rates of Group A strep and scarlet fever in the UK. For more information about this illness and what to do if you think your child may have scarlet fever, please click here. 

Sadly, this week my staff have been pushed to the limit & placed under additional pressure from a small minority of patients who have displayed themselves in an aggressive way.  The NHS is very clear here, we hold a Zero Tolerance approach to any forms of abuse whether directed towards its staff or patients and that applies not only to all staff working within Forestside Medical Practice it also applies to the patients that we look after.  Incidents of anti-social behaviour towards our staff, in front of other patients or directed at other patients needs to stop.

Primary Care Services are at breaking point, waiting times are longer than ever and that applies to incoming calls and booking routine appointments.  We have a finite number of appointments set against clinical safety and the number of clinicians in house each day.  Our staff follow protocols, set by the GP’s which are not there to be obstructive, they are set to help manage Urgent on the day care alongside Routine requests directing patients to the appropriate clinician, which may not always be a GP.

Thank you for your support.

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

Dear Patients,

The Practice is working extremely hard to meet the daily demands placed on us; alongside keeping both Dibden Purlieu and Marchwood surgeries open & seeing patients.  Unfortunately, this week we have had several incidents of patients shouting and verbally abusing our staff whist trying to assist them over the phone or at the reception desk.

We appreciate that you may be unwell or just feel generally frustrated with the Practice, we do understand that, but; it is not acceptable to treat our staff or doctors in this way.  We have 13 members of the team off for various reasons and this is placing extreme pressure on the remaining members trying to help you.

We are struggling now, but this is completely out of our control, nationally there is a shortage of Doctors, Nurses, and Administrative Staff and nationally this is impacting on the availability of routine appointments with patients waiting 4 weeks or more.  Urgent care is overloaded not just for us; however, this is our reality.

We are doing our very best during these very difficult times and would ask our patients to be kind to our staff and doctors and to respect the pressures we are all under, a little kindness goes along way.

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

Dear Patients,

Following recent water damage Marchwood surgery has been drying out for several weeks now.

I am please to say that phase two (the building work) will be starting shortly followed by some redecoration.  Once this work has been completed, we will go into phase three (new floors being laid) this work will impact on 3 of the 5 consulting rooms and part of main corridor.

We will make you aware of any completion dates further down the line; however, we are hoping that this current work will be completed by the 31^{st of} March 2022. 

Phase four (Planned work to the front porch will commence later in 2022) however this should have less of an impact on the clinics we run within Marchwood.

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

To all our Patients

We are all concerned about the effect of the Omicron virus and are aware of the warnings from the Prime Minister. As per Government advice, we are currently prioritising the patients who are in most need of medical help. By only ringing the surgery when it is essential, we can respond to our patients with the highest need more efficiently. 

It is important that you continue to put your health first so please continue to seek urgent medical help when you need it.

The call to support delivery of the new booster campaign makes it impossible for us to maintain all normal services. If you need routine care and your condition is stable, we may need ask you to wait longer than usual to arrange an appointment.

 If you already have an appointment, there are no changes at the current time so please attend as normal.

 We realise that it is frustrating to have to wait longer than usual for routine appointments and reviews, but we ask for your patience and understanding when contacting the surgery.

Before contacting the practice, please do consider self-help and pharmacy options such as these

• The NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/
• 111 online: https://111.nhs.uk/
• Mental health support: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/your-mind-plan-quiz/
• Find a pharmacy: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy
• Advice for parents of children and young people https://what0-18.nhs.uk/

Covid-19 Boosters

The practice is sending out messages to patients to book Covid Vaccinations. If you don’t have a mobile phone & want to book or need advice regarding your 1^st, 2^nd or booster Covid-19 vaccine.

Contact the National Booking Service via www.nhs.uk or ring 119

Please do not contact the surgery

Please be aware you need to wait 28 days following Covid before you can have your vaccination

Help us to keep you all safe and well by keeping our phone lines free for those who need urgent medical help.

Thank you

The Partners at Forestside

Dear Patients,

We recently found damp areas inside Marchwood surgery and following thermal imaging a water leak from a burst pipe has been detected within the concrete.

Excavation work needs to take place inside Marchwood surgery followed by 2-3 weeks of drying out flooring and walls, then building work needs to commence replacing plasterwork, woodwork, and redecoration of the affected areas.

Marchwood surgery will be closed on Wednesday 23^rd November giving our contractors a full day to excavate and hopefully repair the leak. 

Going forward this means a loss of three clinical rooms within Marchwood from the 23^rd November into the New Year 2022.

Sadly, this means services at Marchwood will be affected and the surgery may have to close from time to time due to Health & Safety. 

Once we know more, we will up-date our website and facebook pages to keep you informed.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused to you during this difficult period; however, a full service will continue within Dibden Purlieu surgery and the phone lines will remain the same.

Kind regards

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

Forestside Medical Practice

Update to our telephone system

Dear Patient

Our new telephone system has now been installed however; we have issues with our broadband and are awaiting a replacement system. Engineers are due out to the practice on the 26th July to start the first phase and we hope to be up and running in early August. like you we are very frustrated with the whole situation.

We are coming to grips with the new telephone system but it is still not working properly due to the broadband, our staff are have been answering over 700 calls per day.  If you do not get through within 20 minutes please hang-up and try again later. Please do not get annoyed with our staff they are working very hard trying to help you.

Currently we have 4 staff off either sick or shielding which also impacts on answering the phones.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused to you. We are working very hard to deal with all calls and to assist you further.

Thank you for your understanding.

Julie Stewart

Practice Manager

14.7.2021

Dear Patient

We know that like us, everyone is struggling with the confines of Covid-19.  Everyone is trying to make the best of a really difficult situation and as a practice we are working very hard to keep our doors open caring for all our patients in the best possible way whilst aiming to keep both you and our team safe. 

We are covering clinics within Dibden Purlieu & Marchwood surgeries, along with providing support at the Covid Clinics within Applemore.

Our Telephones are over-run by patients enquiring about their Covid Vaccinations and our emails have increased tenfold from patients emailing the same questions.

We are also as a practice very frustrated with our telephone system to the extent that we are now changing our telephone provider however; this can take up to 12 weeks.  Please be kind to our staff this is out of our control.

The practice is working under extreme pressure please be aware that through our website:-

• We can take repeat prescription requests. Please be aware that prescriptions can take a minimum of 72 hours to process. We will endeavour to deal with urgent enquiries as quickly as possible.
• You cannot send Blood Pressure readings or photographs through the website
• You cannot book appointments through the website - Patients must call Tel No. 02380 844546 to book appointments or use the E-consultation service via our website. Thank you for your understanding.
• We cannot answer clinical questions through our website, please click on to e-consult and complete the questionnaire or call the surgery to book an appointment.
• We cannot respond to patients asking when they will receive their Covid vaccination via email or on our website

We are currently working our way through the governments set list of priorities, rest assured we will send you a text message to book your appointment if we have an up-to-date mobile number and if we don’t we will call you.

If you have received a first vaccination within Applemore we will contact you again to book the second dose.

If you receive a letter from the national booking service, please book through them directly unless you have a problem getting to the centre.

Thank you for your patience.

17th March 2021.