COVID-19
We have tried to include here all the coronavirus information received by the Parish Council that is relevant to people in the community. If you have anything that you think would be useful to add to the website, please email Rose Edwards, the Clerk - yeohead@dorset-aptc.gov.uk or telephone 01963 220491
You can also find guidance and local information on the Dorset Council website. https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/home.aspx
15.03.22 Dear Grove Medical Centre Patients
Clinics will be held on Thursday 31st March and Friday 1st April for patients over the age of 75, or those over 12 with a weakened immune system ONLY.
Unfortunately, only these two dates are available so if you are unable to make either of these clinics then you will need to contact NHS 119 to find another local vaccination centre.
Eligible patients will receive a text or email message over the next couple of days, inviting them to click on the link to book into one of these clinics.
If one does not use a mobile phone or have internet access, then they will need to call the Medical Centre during the afternoons to make an appointment.
Eligible patients are requested to book an appointment online if possible as first preference. If they are unable to book an online appointment then they should telephone the Medical Centre in the afternoons to make an appointment when the telephone lines are less busy.
If you know of an eligible patient who does not have a mobile phone or internet access, then please ask them to telephone the Medical Centre for an appointment.
Doing this will assist the Medical Centre in having to make fewer calls to patients to arrange an appointment for them.
Thank you
Roger Marsh
Chair - Patient Participation Group
The Grove Medical Centre, Sherborne
Covid update vaccinations 22.12.21
We held a walk in clinic in the Digby Hall yesterday and we gave another 240 vaccines in a couple of hours. People are still coming forward for their vaccine, whether it is their first, second or booster. Numbers of Covid cases are on the rise locally now as Omicron becomes dominant. Hospital numbers are increasing too. The most striking statistic is that over 70% of Covid patients in Intensive Care Units are unvaccinated against Covid. So please get your vaccination whether it be your first, second or booster.
Locally we have had great uptake of vaccine and yesterday saw us give our 50,000th dose in the Digby Hall since we started on January 4th 2021.
High uptake of vaccine should reduce our risks considerably. Thanks to you if you have had your vaccines and thanks again to all those who have made it possible.
The vaccination clinic in the Digby Hall will now be closed until early in the New Year. For those of you who missed us yesterday or earlier and wish to be vaccinated there are other walk in opportunities locally
The Gateway Community Church Thurs 23 Dec 2021 09.00 – 19.45 Addlewell Ln, Yeovil BA20 1QN.
The Gateway Community Church Fri 24 Dec 2021 09.00 – 12.00 Addlewell Ln, Yeovil BA20 1QN.
Tesco Upper Level Fri 24 Dec 2021 14.00 – 17.00 Queensway Pl, Yeovil BA20 1DL.
Haynes Motor Museum Mon 27 Dec – Tues 28 Dec 2021 08:30 – 19:30 Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH.
Haynes Motor Museum Wed 29 Dec – Thurs 30 Dec 2021 08:30 – 18:00 Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH.
We hope you all have a happy and safe Xmas
Dr Rob Childs
Covid update vaccinations 20.12.21
'Another 1700 people were vaccinated at the Digby Hall on Saturday. It was a festive day with Christmas hats and jumpers and even a visit from the Town Band. Thank you to all who helped. We have now offered a vaccine booster to all those over 18 in the Sherborne Area. This was our target by the end of December so it is a great achievement to have completed this already. The uptake of vaccine has been good locally with over 80% of adults having had a booster dose, compared to the current national figures of 53%.
The number of Covid infections locally is now on the rise as expected, with a 20% increase in the last week.
If you haven’t had any or all of your vaccines, it is not too late. We are going to hold a walk-in clinic on Tuesday 21st December at the Digby Hall in Hound Street between 2:00 and 5:30pm. You don’t have to be registered locally to get your vaccine, so you can just turn up.
We have a limited supply of vaccine for the afternoon. If you want to have a vaccine, please come prepared with some ID, the dates of your previous vaccines (you can find this on the NHS app, or from your vaccine card), and your NHS number, if you can, as this will speed up the process considerably. Please be patient if there are queues but the more information you bring the quicker we can process you through to having your vaccine.
NHS No online finder: https://www.nhs.uk/.../online-services/find-nhs-number/...
We will recommence vaccination clinics in early January when we be recalling those who are due a further dose. The offer for those who have not yet taken up vaccination or are overdue their booster remains and you will be able to book into our clinics or get a vaccination from other local sites in Yeovil or Sparkford.
I hope you all have a festive and safe Christmas.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Vaccination Lead
Covid update vaccinations 13.12.21
"Most of you will have seen or heard the announcement last night about boosting the Covid booster programme.
We are doing well with our local campaign. Last week alone we gave over 3200 vaccines. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who yet again turn out in their own time to ensure our community is protected.
We do still have some availability left for our Saturday 18th December clinic at the Digby Hall. Please come forward and book your vaccination (either 1st, 2nd, or booster dose – 12 weeks between doses) via the text link you’ve been sent if possible. If you don’t use a smartphone, please contact your surgery to book, preferably in the afternoon when we are less busy.
We had planned to finish boosting all over 18s by the 7th January 2022 but we are now looking to see if we can add capacity and vaccinate you before Xmas if possible.
This extra work may mean that we cannot provide you with our full range of services until the campaign is finished. So please bear with us whilst we try to sort the logistics of this now urgent booster programme.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid update Sherborne 01.12.21
Covid 19 would seem to be the gift that keeps on giving, but it's really not something that you want to give or receive this Christmas, so make sure that you get your vaccine or booster if you are eligible.
The number of cases in Sherborne remains high with over 100 per week currently. Infections would appear mostly in school children and their parents but we are seeing infections in those who have been double vaccinated also.
Our booster programme is going well. We have clinics on the 8th and 11th December at the Digby Hall, when we shall give over 3000 vaccines. I anticipate that everyone who is vulnerable or over 40, will have been offered a booster vaccination by the 11th of December. This is a great achievement and well ahead of national targets.
The programme has now been expanded to offer vaccines to everyone over 18 and the interval reduced to 3 months following their second jab. Our data tells us that we will need to give another 3000 + vaccines to the over 18s to reach this target. We are now trying to add another clinic before Xmas on the 18th December to give 1500 or so of those doses and further clinics on the 7th and 8th January 2022. By the 8th January 2022, we would anticipate that everyone over 18 will have been offered a booster.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to operate these clinics as the staff are exhausted by their day jobs, which have never been busier. It is a considerable ask of them to give up their free time, especially around Xmas. But I have no doubt that people will step forward yet again to help for such a worthy cause. I hope you appreciate, as I do, their commitment and hard work.
Invitations for clinics on 18th December and January 7th and 8th will go out in the next few days. We need your mobile phone number to send you an invite, so please make sure we have your details. Mass vaccination sites in Yeovil and Sparkford are open and busy, but you can book online through 119 if this is more suitable for you.
We do not yet know if this new Omicron variant will be more infectious or more deadly, but it is of concern. So please get your booster or even your first or second jab if you haven’t had it already.
The key to success in combatting Covid is to get vaccinated to protect yourself. But just as important, your vaccination reduces the risks to others as well.
So probably the best gift you can give this Christmas to your loved ones is to get yourself vaccinated against Covid 19.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Vaccination Lead Sherborne
GP and Clinical Director Sherborne Area Network
The Grove Medical Centre
Sherborne
Dorset
DT9 4DL
Covid update from Sherborne Area Primary Care Network 20.10.21
Our Covid booster campaign at the Digby Hall is well underway and so far over 3800 in our community have received boosters. Despite the challenges reported in other areas of the country, I am pleased to report that we are on track to deliver all boosters by early December.
All those over the age of 50 plus those with certain conditions or are health and social care workers are due their booster from 26 weeks after their second vaccination date. The practices are working their way through the lists of patients inviting them in as they become due. If we have your mobile phone number you will receive a text message with a link to click for you to book in. We are contacting all others via telephone or letter to offer an appointment. If you are within this group AND are more than 2 weeks over the 26 weeks after your booster, and haven’t heard from us yet, then please contact your practice to arrange an appointment. Please don’t contact us any earlier than you are due.
If you have missed your appointment for any of your Covid vaccinations and now wish to be vaccinated, please also get in touch.
Covid numbers locally are very high currently and projected to remain high for some weeks, so do take care.
Also if you are 16 or over and have not yet had your first vaccine or are over 18 and have not had your second, you are very welcome to make an appointment. Please note we are unable to give vaccinations to children age 12-15 (except a handful of vulnerable children we have already contacted) as their vaccination programme is being arranged by the school immunisation service who will be back in schools at some point after half term.
Our next Covid vaccination clinics are running on Wednesday 27th October and Thursday 10th November. If you are attending and you are able to, please use the other town car parks and walk to the Digby Hall to allow those with mobility needs to use the small car park on site.
It is a busy time for us in general practice with continuing to keep the practices running smoothly with the increased amount of requests for support from our patients and the addition of delivering campaigns for both flu vaccines and Covid boosters. Our continued thanks to all the staff who are working many extra hours and of course to our volunteers. We really couldn’t do it without you all.
Dr Rob Childs
Clinical Director
Sherborne Area Primary Care Network
Covid update from Sherborne Area Primary Care Network 12.08.21
The Digby Hall has been temporarily cleared and we are storing our equipment ready for the next phase of the vaccination campaign. So far we have given over 33,000 vaccines to our local population. That represents nearly 90% receiving one dose and 85% receiving two doses which is an amazing achievement and easily exceeds the national figures. If you haven’t received your second dose and would still like one, you can book online with National Booking Service. We will be reopening our vaccination clinic for boosters and for 16-17 year olds in September.
16 and 17 year olds can also use the national booking service if they wish to get vaccinated earlier than this.
We have also been asked to vaccinate a small group of 12-15 year olds who might be vulnerable ( those with severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those with profound or severe learning disabilities) or those children living in households with patients who are immunosuppressed. We can commence vaccinating this small group from the 23rd August. We think we know who these children are and will be inviting you to a clinic at the Grove Medical Centre on the 25th August. If you think you or your child is eligible and you haven’t been contacted by 18th August, please get in touch with your surgery.
The booster programme is yet to be finalised but it would appear to be that boosters are advised to be given not before the 26th week following your second dose. That means clinics for booster Covid vaccine will commence at the end of September. Flu jabs may be given at the same time as your booster, but we are waiting (again) for the scientists and politicians to decide as how exactly the programme will work.
Covid infections in our area have fallen from their peak of a few weeks ago when there were 60-70 cases per week to around 30-40 cases per week now. The number of cases would appear to be levelling off at around this number. The infections are mostly in the under 30’s but there are a few older people getting Covid , including those who have been double vaccinated. These infections are not resulting in hospital admissions which is important. However please don’t take unnecessary risks yourself or put others at risk by your actions.
I will update you again when I have more news.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Update 14.07.21
We have only two more Covid vaccination clinics left to do locally. One is this weekend on the 17th July and the last clinic is on the 31st July at the Digby Hall. Both of these clinics will be offering Pfizer vaccines ( and some Astra Zeneca doses as well). The local campaign has been a great success and we have achieved vaccination rates that are some of the best in the country. We will then be shutting down the clinic until the Autumn when we anticipate seeing many of you again for your Covid vaccine booster and flu jab. The details of this campaign have yet to be finalised.
The second dose of your vaccine is the most important in giving you immunity to Covid. Cases are rising rapidly nationally and locally. So please don’t forget your second dose. If you don’t have an appointment and haven’t had your second ( or even first dose), please ring your surgery to arrange one.
The emphasis now is shifting from national Covid restrictions that were designed to protect you, to you making choices to protect yourself.
You may want to consider continuing to wear a mask in certain settings where the risk is greater and we will ask you to continue to wear masks in healthcare settings such as the surgeries. You may also want to consider obtaining lateral flow tests which you can get from local chemists or order online at https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. If you are meeting with others, you can then reassure each other of your negative status with a lateral flow test. This will allow for safer socialising of all those groups that haven’t been able to meet for some time.
We still need to be cautious as it is likely that numbers will continue to rise for few more weeks before this peak is reached. Most of the current infections are in the younger age group (18-29) or those who haven’t been vaccinated. We are seeing a few infections in those who have had two vaccines, but the risk of serious illness is greatly reduced in those who have been vaccinated.
So to reiterate, get your second vaccine for your immunity and safety, and if you haven’t had a first vaccine and have changed your mind, talk to your surgery and we can arrange one for you.
Let’s enjoy the good weather and the removal of legal restrictions, but do continue to look after yourself and those around you, by not taking any unnecessary risks and staying safe.
Dr Rob Childs
Sherborne Covid Vaccination Lead
Covid Update 17.06.21
We are moving into our final phase of our vaccine programme at the Digby Hall. We have so far given over 26900 vaccines locally and we have just a few more clinics to go. We commenced first doses for our over 18s on the 5th June so are still ahead. (The national booking service for over 18s to book elsewhere will open later this week.)
We have another clinic on Saturday 26th June. In the morning we are doing second dose AZ for those of you due and then in the early afternoon we will be holding our last first dose clinic so for ANYONE over the age of 18 who has not yet had a first dose. This will be your last opportunity to get a first Covid Vaccine at the Digby Hall. After this date we will be directing first doses to the national booking service. So if you haven’t yet responded to our invitation for a Covid vaccine, please do so now. If you have relatives or friends who have not yet been vaccinated, please encourage them to do so.
For those of you who are awaiting a second dose, we aim to have given you all a second dose by the end of July. The second dose is the most important in giving you immunity to the what is now the widespread and dominant delta variant, so please do not miss your appointment for your second dose. And remember that dangerous reactions to the AZ vaccine have only been reported in first doses so the second dose is even safer than the first.
If you cannot make any of the second dose clinics that you are offered then contact your surgery who will try to make alternative arrangements for you.
Dr Rob Childs
Clinical Director
Sherborne Area Primary Care Network
Covid Vaccination Update 02.06.21
We had a successful weekend and gave just over 3000 second doses of vaccine to those aged over 50. There are a few of you out there aged over 50 who need your second dose who couldn’t make it to these clinics. You need to get that second vaccine to give the cover you need against the Indian Variant. You have one more opportunity to get that vaccine at the Digby Hall on the 5th June. So please if you haven’t been invited or don’t have an appointment, please get in touch with your surgery as soon as you can. ( Apples, Grove Medical Centre or Yetminster Surgeries). We have not yet been instructed to bring forward doses in those aged under 50, but that might change. We will do our best to keep you informed.
Next Saturday 5th June will be primarily a first dose Pfizer clinic for those aged 18-29 and any remainder in the cohort aged 30-39. We still have spaces in this clinic as we have been unable to contact many of you. If you are or know of someone in these age groups , registered with the local surgeries, then please get in touch or ask them to get in touch. Pfizer vaccines are still in short supply but we have been able to secure 1100 for next Saturday. We want to use them all up so please don’t delay in making contact.
As we are nearing the end of the vaccination programme here in Sherborne the next clinic will not be until the end of June. So again this is your chance to get your first dose Pfizer and you may not have another opportunity for a few weeks at least. I know the weather is good and you might have a “better offer” for the 5th June but getting vaccinated and preventing illness in yourself and others is definitely the right thing to do.
Thank you
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Vaccination Update 23.05.21
The Indian variant is currently present in low levels in the South West, but is expected to become the dominant variant in all parts of the UK in due course. Spread will inevitably increase as lockdown measures are eased. The good news is that both the Pfizer, and Astra Zeneca vaccines give good protection against serious Covid infection. This protection is significantly increased by having a second dose.
We have been asked to bring forward second doses for those over 50, so you can be afforded that protection.
We are holding clinics on the 28th and 29th May, where we plan to give over 3000 doses. We have brought forward a clinic that was due on the 5th June to meet the request to vaccinate earlier. I am very grateful to all those who have volunteered to give up part of their Bank Holiday weekend to staff the clinic.
If you have been asked to rebook from the 5th JUNE to the 28th or 29th May, I urge you to take the opportunity to have this earlier vaccination. By next weekend we plan to have offered a second dose to all local residents aged over 50.
We are rebooking the clinic on the 5th June and we will be offering 1st doses of Pfizer to those in the age group 18-30. If you fall into this age group, may I request that you ensure that your surgery has your up to date mobile phone number, as we will be texting offers of appointments.
We remain well ahead of other areas in respect of vaccination offers and uptake. However, now is not the time for complacency and I urge you all to accept the offer of vaccination for either your first or second dose, when you receive one.
For those of you who are thinking of travelling, I would suggest that you download the NHS app, as this will give you proof of your vaccination which you may require, but also allow you access to many other services such a prescription requests or booking of appointments.
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/
Once again may I take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who have been involved in our vaccine clinics. You really have made a difference in these historic times. We can be very proud of what we have achieved together.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Vaccination Update 12.05.21
We continue to vaccinate and remain ahead of national targets and the majority of 30-50 year olds have already received their first vaccine. We are giving another 1400 vaccines on Wednesday 12th May. Uptake of vaccine has been beyond all expectation with 97% of those aged 50 and over having had at least one vaccine so far. This vaccination uptake will reap benefits as we start to socialise more and should hopefully keep numbers of Covid cases locally to a minimum
We are still giving mostly second doses but have managed first doses for many of you as well in the last few weeks. As numbers of Covid cases continue to fall the balance of risk with the AZ vaccine changes. This was why initially AZ was only recommended to those aged 30 and over and now updated so those under 40 will be offered Pfizer if they haven’t already received a first dose of AZ. The actual safety data for AZ is unchanged and the risk of blood clots remains very small indeed. Many of you who are under 40 will already have received your first dose AZ vaccine as we are ahead of target. This is not a problem and if you didn’t have a blood clot to the first dose, it is even more unlikely that you would have a reaction to your second dose. So those of you under 40 who have successfully received a first dose AZ will be offered AZ in due course for your second dose and you can be confident to have it safely (usually with less flu like side effects as well).
We have a clinic booked for the 22nd May and we have managed to secure Pfizer vaccines for those of you receiving first doses under the age of 40, as is now recommended. Following this I would anticipate more Pfizer vaccines in the next few weeks so we can move to vaccinate the 18-30 cohort. Pfizer vaccines have a very short shelf life so appointments are regrettably not very flexible. Once the vaccine arrives it has to be used within 3 days, so if you are offered an appointment for Pfizer vaccine, please make every effort to attend as it is unlikely we will be able to offer you an alternative date.
On a different but related note, GP surgeries up and down the land are experiencing unprecedented levels of demand and we are struggling to provide you with routine GP services, never mind trying to vaccinate you as well. So please bear with us whilst we try to offer you the best service we can in the circumstances.
Thank You
Dr Rob Childs
Update 19.04.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
What a fantastic day Sunday has been. The sun has shone all day and it was great to see people out and about at the market in Sherborne. It almost felt normal (whatever that is). The risk of transmission of Covid in outdoor spaces is very low and indeed there are now around 17 per 100,000 cases per week in Dorset. When you compare this to Europe , where France currently has 350 per 100,000 and Sweden at over 400 per 100,000, you realise how far we have come during this long lockdown. The priority now is to avoid a third wave as they are experiencing abroad. We can do this by following the guidelines but also by getting vaccinated against Covid.
We are progressing well and this week we will give our 20,000th dose of Covid vaccine in the Digby Hall. 78% of the local adult population has now had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. It is so important that we keep going and see the job through whether for your first or second dose. Second doses are assured and supplies for first doses are being scheduled now for the beginning of May and we will restart vaccinating the under 50s again as soon as we can. We managed to vaccinate the majority of 40-50 year olds before the vaccine supply was reduced so we should be able to move on quickly to the under 40s when supplies arrive.
It is so important that you attend for your vaccine appointment. I appreciate the concerns that some of you may have about the Astra Zeneca Vaccine. Our Vaccination guidelines published in the “Green Book” have been updated this week to give us more information about the issues with AZ. It would appear that there are no underlying risk factors to make an individual more susceptible to this extremely rare idiosyncratic immune response to the AZ vaccine. There have been no reported cases of this rare clotting to the second dose and there is no evidence that those with previous blood clots ( thrombosis ) or those who have risk factors for clotting are at greater risk of this condition.
You can read this information yourself within the Green Book ( https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/978508/Green_book_chapter_16April2021.pdf ) on page 22. This information is produced and provided by the JCVI (Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation) and is comprehensive and reliable. The benefits of vaccination continue to greatly outweigh any risks.
Over 5000 of our local residents have now had two doses of Covid vaccine and we look forward to seeing the rest of you for your first or second dose in the next few weeks.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 09.04.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
The news about the Astra Zeneca vaccine this week and its potential relationship to rare blood clots is of course disappointing, however it is important that we keep it in context and make rational and informed decisions about vaccinations. The risk to an individual of getting a CVST (Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) is about 1 in 250000 and the risk of dying from it is about 1 in a million. The risk of a Covid infection and its consequences is much greater for the vast majority of the population.
For those under 30 the JCVI has recommended that you have an alternative vaccine and we are expecting the Moderna vaccine to be available for the under 30’s in the next few weeks.
We are currently giving second doses of Astra Zeneca, this weekend and next. If you had your first dose and did not suffer any serious side effects it is recommended that you receive the second dose when you are invited. Some of you may have had flu like symptoms for few days after the first dose, but this is not a reason not to have the second dose. Generally we are seeing fewer flu like side effects to the second dose of Astra Zeneca.
The vaccination programme has been a remarkable success and it is important that we do not lose our momentum. It is a credit to the MHRA and JCVI that their data and surveillance has led to these safety recommendations. As the lockdown eases and we mix together more socially, it is predicted that cases will rise again in the Summer months. If people remain unvaccinated that will lead to a real increased risk of a Third wave, as they are seeing in Europe. So when you are invited for your first or second dose, please come forward and be vaccinated.
I attach a helpful leaflet explaining about the risk of Covid Vaccination and Blood Clotting.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 27.03.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
It has been another epic week for our vaccination programme in Sherborne. In the last 7 days we have administered over 3000 vaccines. We have now given over 13000 vaccines locally since January and just over 75% of the local adult population have received their first dose. We have invited all over 50’s for vaccination and are at least 2 weeks ahead of the targets we have been set by government. The uptake has exceeded all expectations and percentages range from 99.5% of Over 80’s to 90% of 50-55 year olds. We have also had enough spare doses to vaccinate a significant number of under 50’s as well. I am so proud of and grateful to the people who have made this happen. To the volunteers who give their time come rain or shine, the nurses, health care assistants and doctors, and those behind the scenes who coordinate and record and book your appointments, who are all working extra hours to make this happen – I say Thank You.
We have given second doses this week to residents of local residential and nursing homes and we also started to give second doses this week to the over 80’s and will re-vaccinate the remainder of the Over 80’s next week. If you have an appointment for Tuesday or Wednesday next week , please remember to bring your appointment letter with you.
We had some spare doses this week at the end of Wednesday’s clinic. This was because about 30 people did not attend for their booked appointment. I appreciate there may be lots of reasons for people being unable to attend, but if you can let us know if you cannot make your appointment, then we can offer the vaccine to someone else. I am pleased to say that not a single dose was wasted as people were called in at short notice.
We will continue to give more second doses after Easter and as soon as supply is assured we will recommence with the under 50’s. We will call or text you to arrange your second dose, which you should receive at some time between the 11th and 12 week after your first vaccine. Our call and recall system is robust, but please make sure that we do have your UpToDate contact details to avoid any confusion.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 18.03.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Our vaccine programme locally has been very successful. Last Saturday in a single day, we managed to vaccinate 1926 patients. An amazing achievement. Thanks to all involved.
You will all have seen the news about vaccine supply in the next few weeks. Making vaccine is a complex process and each batch needs to meet rigorous standards for it to be distributed and used.
Occasionally, batches will not be up to standard and cannot be used. This is what has happened with the AZ vaccine production and is to be expected in the complex process of vaccine manufacture. It reflects the very high standards of production which is in fact a good thing.
We do have some first doses left for this weekend and next week. It is really important that if you are over 50 and that you for whatever reason have not be vaccinated or do not have an appointment, that you come forward now.
I appreciate that some of you remain concerned about vaccination. Please talk to someone at your surgery if this is the case. Some of you may not have received an invitation if we do not have your up to date contact details. If you fall into this group, this next week will be your last chance for several weeks to get a Covid vaccination. Please contact your surgery today and arrange an appointment.
This vaccine supply issue will not affect those of you who are expecting your second dose. We have been given assurance that supplies of vaccine for second doses will be delivered at 11-12 weeks after your first dose. We are starting next week with revaccinating the Over 80’s , frontline staff and nursing homes. It will be a busy couple of weeks before Easter as we are expecting around 2000 doses per week.
Despite the setback over vaccine supply, we are still on track. All over 50’s will have been offered or vaccinated by the middle of next week. If we have spare vaccine that cannot be used elsewhere, we will get in touch with some of you aged under 50 to offer you vaccination rather than letting any go to waste.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 12.03.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
I know that some of you are concerned by reports of patients getting blood clots after receiving the Astra Zeneca Vaccine in Europe. There is no evidence at this stage that this is any more than coincidental. Blood clots occur frequently in the population and many of you may already be taking medicines to thin your blood. So far over 11 million people in the UK have been vaccinated with the AZ/ Oxford vaccine, without any suggestion of an increase in blood clots over what we might expect to occur naturally. The most common side effect of the AZ/Oxford vaccine is of fever, headaches and aches and pains for a couple of days.
Everything we do in life has a risk associated with it, from driving a car, crossing the road or even going down the stairs and so on. We all evaluate these risks individually and make a judgment as to whether something is safe or not. However it is important to be scientific and factual in our decisions, and undoubtedly the risk and consequences to you of a Covid infection vastly exceeds the unproven risk of potential blood clots following a vaccination with AZ/Oxford vaccine.
So please don’t be fearful and continue to book and attend for your Covid vaccine either at the Digby Hall or at any other venues.
I attach a link to the MHRA response Europe’s reaction to this vaccine news.
https://www.gov.uk/.../mhra-response-to-danish....
Dr Rob Childs
Update 09.03.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Covid-19 vaccination update - from Dr Rob Childs, Clinical Director, Sherborne Area Primary Care Network.
Vaccine supply is increasing again and we are confident of vaccinating all of our residents aged over 50 before the end of March. There are 13,005 residents aged over 50, locally registered with either The Apples, Yetminster or The Grove Medical Centre. Of those 10,438 have already received their first vaccine. So that is only just over 2500 to go and we are planning a “Super Saturday” this weekend and aim to vaccinate over 1600 patients in one day. (Rugby afficionados will of course tell me that super Saturday is in fact the following weekend 😊). This means that it is likely that we will complete the first vaccination for all over 50s before we start on the second vaccination for you all.
We have been informed that vaccines for second doses will arrive in the 11th week following initial dose. This means that we will have to rearrange vaccine clinics that we had planned from our first 2 weeks in January when we used Pfizer vaccine on our over 80’s and healthcare workers. Please don’t attend the vaccination clinic without a reconfirmed appointment if you fall into this group. We are writing to you if your appointment is affected.
Once we have vaccinated our over 50s , we will also look to vaccinate our 18-49 year old ( approx. 5000 people). We appreciate that our clinics are not always convenient for those of you who work, so if you are offered an appointment at a mass vaccination site, which is more convenient for you, then please take it.
For those attending our clinic on Saturday 13th March at the Digby Hall, we are expecting a very full car park, so if you can walk or park in another local car park, then please do.
Numbers of Covid infections continue to fall locally and we are now well below the national average. But please lets not risk a local resurgence by forgetting our social distancing. Thank you
Dr Rob Childs
Update 01.03.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Last week we vaccinated our 9000th patient. This represents over half of our adult population. At this rate we will meet all the targets for vaccination that have been set. There is strong evidence now that the first dose gives good protection and the strategy of giving the second dose at 12 weeks is very effective. Please remember however to stay at home, maintain social distancing and follow the rules, even after your first dose.
For those of you who were vaccinated at the Digby Hall in early January, we are now starting to plan your second dose. Many of you will have been given a date and time already, however this appointment will need to be confirmed prior to your attendance, as the schedules for delivery are not yet finalised. This applies to those who were given the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. Your second dose is guaranteed but may vary by a few days from the original planned date. This is because the vaccine has a very short fridge life of only 3 days when we receive it. I apologize for this but as yet we have no control over scheduling of deliveries of vaccine. We will be in touch with your confirmed second dose date as soon as we are able to.
I do not anticipate similar issues for those of you who have had the Astra Zeneca vaccine as there will be greater supplies of this vaccine and the fridge life is a lot longer.
We are indeed expecting a “surge” of vaccine after the 15th March as the manufacturers are increasing production , so we may be able to reach targets earlier than anticipated, which would be a great achievement. Thanks again for your patience and support in helping us to deliver this historic vaccination programme.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 20.02.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Our thanks go to the team who delivered 400+ vaccines in the Digby Hall this morning especially those volunteers in the cold and wet of the car park . It has been a frustrating week due to NHS England adding another 1.7m to the shielding list during a period when we have had reduced vaccine delivery. The criteria for inclusion in this additional list is based upon studies of those who have had Covid in the last year and their medical history. Inevitably there are patients included in this list who are surprised and indeed some who are there because of previous past history such as gestational diabetes. If you have received a letter telling you to shield and are unable to explain it then please call your surgery some afternoon this next week. (please don’t ring Monday morning as our phone lines may not cope !). The number of extra shielders locally is less than some of the more urban areas. We do know who you are and have prioritised you to receive vaccine (cohort 4b)
Cohorts 6 (age 18-64 with underlying health conditions) are currently being called or texted and also those in cohort 5 (aged 65-69) who haven’t taken up the offer of a mass vaccination site.
We have another 1200 vaccines coming next week and then 800 the week commencing 1st March. Our calculations show that these 2 cohorts and the new Clinically Extremely Vulnerable CEV amount to a remaining 2600 people locally. We are calling our cohort 6 generally in age order. So please be patient if you haven’t yet been called but do make sure we have your up to date contact details. If you have been offered vaccination through the national booking service by email or letter and can take up that offer then please do.
As part of the ongoing research into Covid and because of vaccine “hesitancy” in certain groups, we have been asked to record ethnicity of those vaccinated, so please don’t be surprised or offended if we need to clarify this when you book in at the Digby Hall.
Numbers of Covid cases continue to fall locally and in the last 7 days there were under 10 cases of Covid in Sherborne and surrounds. Lets hope for good news on lockdown next week and we can start to think about reducing restrictions and enjoying the summer. But in the meantime please continue to Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 12.02.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
We have had a very productive week vaccinating and after tomorrow’s clinic of 950 patients, we will have vaccinated over 7500 of the local population. We have achieved the national target that was set for us.
I cant thank enough all those people who have helped to make this happen, from the staff of the various surgeries, the town council, the volunteers and even those who have supplied us with cake and refreshments. The sense of community is heart-warming indeed.
That said, it looks like we are going to see a slowdown in vaccine supply over the next few weeks. This is caused by vaccine production not keeping up with demand and also planning and logistics to ensure that we can give you your second doses in the 12th week. We are only getting 400 doses next week as we move on to cohort 5 and cohort 6. Some of you will receive letters suggesting that you contact the national booking service to get a vaccination at an alternative site ( such as Morrisons or Bath and West Showground). If you are offered an appointment at one of these other sites and can get there, then please do so. We are not in competition with these other sites, we just want to get as many vaccines into as many arms as possible. If you are unable to travel to one of these sites , do not be concerned as we will still contact you in due course for a local vaccination in the Digby Hall.
Numbers of Covid infections locally are now falling which is good news, however the infections are predominantly the Kent variant, which is more contagious. Let’s not become complacent, the message remains the same Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid Vaccination Lead for Sherborne Area.
Update 08.02.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
We have passed some milestones this week in Dorset and in our vaccination campaign. I am pleased to report that having vaccinated 440 Shielding and Clinically Extremely Vulnerable patients on Saturday morning that we have now administered over 5000 vaccines to our local Sherborne residents. The other milestone is more sad in the respect that we have now had over 1000 deaths from Covid in Dorset during this pandemic. It is easy to become blasé over these numbers but we must remember behind each of those deaths, there is a family who is grieving. A sobering thought.
This week we will be vaccinating the cohort including 70-74 year olds. We will be administering 850 vaccines on Tuesday 9th February and another 850 vaccines on Saturday 13th February. These next two vaccination days will mean that all patients over 70, who are not housebound and registered with either The Apples Medical Centre, Yetminster Health Centre or The Grove Medical Centre will have been offered a Covid vaccination by next weekend. This is a great achievement. The next target looks to be to vaccinate all those over 50 by May 2021. I am confident that we have the capacity and the staff and volunteers to achieve this.
If you are over 70 and registered with one of the local surgeries mentioned and have not been offered a Covid vaccination, please get in touch with your surgery so we can ensure you get vaccinated this week. The light at the end of this long tunnel is getting a little brighter but until we get there please remember to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
Dr Rob Childs
Sherborne Area Network Covid Vaccination Lead
Update 28.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Update on Covid vaccination in Sherborne and surrounding villages: Issued 28 January 2021.
We continue to push on with vaccination locally. We have vaccinated cohorts 1 and 2 successfully with a good uptake. We have commenced cohort 3 (aged 75 and over) and aim to mostly complete that cohort by administering another 860 vaccinations on Friday 29th January at the Digby Hall. It will be a busy day. If you have an appointment, please don’t arrive early as it causes congestion and reduces our ability to socially distance from each other. The next cohort to receive vaccination will be the over 70 age group and the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) otherwise known as Shielding patients (cohort 4).
We appreciate that for many of you who have received the vaccine already, that this was the first time you had been out for some time and that had some associated anxiety. This anxiety might be greater for those of you who are shielding. To that end we are going to hold an exclusive clinic for shielding or CEV patients on Saturday 6th February. The hall will not have been used for several days, staffing will be kept to a minimum and as usual, all staff will have had a negative Covid test on the day of the clinic. I hope this will reassure you that it will be safe to attend the Digby Hall for vaccination on that day.
We will receive 1200 vaccines next week which will allow us to vaccinate our CEV patients and the majority of those aged 70 and over. Please wait to be called by your surgery for an appointment.
It looks like numbers of positive cases are beginning to fall slowly but we still have 30-40 cases per week in Sherborne. So please continue to follow the rules. This is important for those of you who have received the vaccine as well as you will not yet have full immunity and it is not yet known whether you can pass on the virus. So please STAY AT HOME, PROTECT THE NHS AND SAVE LIVES.
Dr Rob Childs
Update 25.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
SHERBORNE AREA PRIMARY CARE NETWORK
(GROVE & APPLES MEDICAL CENTRES AND YESTMINSTER HEALTH CENTRE)
COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINICS
GENERAL NOTE TO PATIENTS;
ALL CLINICS TAKE PLACE AT ‘THE DIGBY HALL’, HOUND STREET, SHERBONE DT93AA (NEXT TO SHERBORNE LIBRARY) NOT ‘THE DIGBY MEMORIAL CHURCH HALL’, DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE.
(PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO THOSE ATTENDING THE VACCINATION CLINIC. ALTHOUGH PATIENTS ARE INFORMED OF THE LOCATION WHEN BOOKING THEIR APPOINTMENT, SEVERAL PATIENTS HAVE MISTAKENLY GONE TO DIGBY ROAD, SHERBORNE).
WARNING: TO THOSE DRIVING TO THE CLINIC, PLEASE BEWARE OF PEDESTRIANS WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING THE DIGBY HALL CAR PARK, AS THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IS HIGH RESULTING IN A LARGE NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS WALKING WITHIN THE CAR PARK ITSELF.
Updates 23.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
We have a had a more frustrating week this week with Covid vaccination. We were only supplied with 400 doses. However, we have managed to vaccinate or invite the remainder of the over 80 age group. We have also commenced vaccinating those who are housebound. Next week we will be receiving 800 Astra Zeneca doses and be vaccinating most of the age 75-79 cohort. Please wait to be contacted by your surgery for an appointment. This will be by an SMS text message or by telephone.
We are aware that some of you have been receiving letters inviting you to the mass vaccination sites, in Bristol, Taunton or Bournemouth. If you do decide to travel to one of these centres please make sure that you cancel any appointment that you have locally, so that we can ensure no vaccine is wasted.
Our capacity to vaccinate is only limited by vaccine supply and we remain confident of vaccinating those most at risk by the middle of February, so do not feel obliged to travel to these centres unless you wish to do so.
Please ensure that your surgery has your latest contact details so we can get in touch with you.
Thanks once again to all those who have been helping to deliver this historic campaign.
Dr Rob Childs
15.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
“We have had another successful week vaccinating our local residents against Covid 19 . Last week we vaccinated over 1000 local residents over 80 years old. This week we have administered 1800 vaccines, amongst the over 80’s , residents and staff of local care and nursing home and also Frontline Health Care workers. A massive thank you to all the staff and volunteers who have helped to make this happen.
We are awaiting notification of our vaccine delivery for next week. We shall next be targeting the elderly housebound and the cohort aged 75-79. We are on schedule to vaccinate our most vulnerable residents by the middle of February.
However if you are over 80 and registered with either The Apples Medical Centre, Yetminster Health Centre or The Grove Medical Centre and are not housebound and for some reason HAVEN’T already been invited for a Covid Vaccination, please get in touch with your surgery to arrange one.
Please remember that vaccination is by appointment only and we will get in touch with you to arrange a vaccination date and time. It is important that we have your up to date details so that we can get in touch with you. We will make increasing use of mobile phones and texting to make contact, so please ensure we have your latest mobile phone number. Visit your surgery website to find out how you can easily update your contact details. Do not be concerned if you do not have a mobile phone as we will still reach you by landline.
Covid infections locally still remain much higher than in the first wave and there are still a significant number of new cases locally each week, so please follow the rules and stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
Please ensure this message reaches those who may not have seen it.
Thank you.
Dr Rob Childs
Covid vaccination Lead for Sherborne Area Network
07.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
We are delighted to report that our first Covid vaccination clinic running at the Digby Hall in Sherborne is going very well. By the end of tomorrow we will have vaccinated 1200 of our over 80s and health and social care staff.
Our care homes residents and staff will start receiving their vaccinations from next Monday and we will be running further vaccination clinics at the hall by appointment only, on Wednesday and Thursday next week. Please do not contact us for your appointment, we will contact you when it is your turn for the vaccination.
All three practices are working extremely hard at the moment to ensure that we get as many patients vaccinated as soon as we can, but we are still open on our practice sites. If you have any other health concerns, please contact your surgery as normal.
Dr Rob Childs
02.01.21 Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Dear patients,
Happy New Year!
We have some good news to start the year off. We will be receiving our first batch of vaccine (Pfizer Biotech) next week and our first Covid vaccination clinics will be taking place on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th at The Digby Hall, by the library in Sherborne. These will be BY APPOINTMENT only.
We will be following the government recall process on prioritisation of the vaccinations. Our first cohort will be approximately 1000 patients over the age of 80 based on their age and clinical risk. Do not worry if you or your relative is over 80 and doesn’t get called this week, we will be calling the remainder as soon as we get confirmation of our next delivery which will hopefully be the following week.
Following on from this this we would hope to vaccinate a 1000 patients per week so that we can immunise as many people as possible in a short a time as possible.
We will also be going into our local care and residential homes to vaccinate residents and staff within the next few weeks as well.
This good news however is not a reason for complacency. COVID numbers are rising in the Sherborne area. We had 40 cases locally last week which is a 50% increase on the week before. Please adhere to social distancing rules and protect yourselves and others. The finish line is now in sight, so please stay safe until we get there.
Dr Rob Childs
PLEASE DO NOT CALL US TO BOOK YOUR VACCINATION. YOUR SURGERY WILL CONTACT YOU.
Please pass this message to anyone you know who might not see this message.
22.12.20 - Coronavirus Vaccinations Sherborne Area
Dr Rob Childs has published the following message today to all patients of the Sherborne Area Primary Care Network (the Grove and Apples Medical Centres and the Yetminster Health Centre)
We are all concerned by the variant of Covid that is spreading in the South East of England. Rates of infection locally however remain below the national average and if we follow guidance on Hands, Space and Face and the rules on gathering at Xmas, we should be able to keep the rate of infection low.
Some sites in Dorset and Somerset have commenced vaccination and we have a site in Sherborne identified, which is awaiting authorisation and delivery of vaccine and equipment. The logistics of delivering a vaccine that has to be stored at -70 degrees is considerable but we have learned from the first wave sites as how best to manage this. It is also anticipated that the Oxford vaccine will become available shortly, which will ease logistic issues and increase our capacity to vaccinate you.
We anticipate commencing our local vaccination campaign, during the week commencing 4th January 2021. We will be vaccinating those who are most vulnerable first ( over 80 and those in care homes) and those recommended nationally by the JCVI.
The clinics will be by appointment only and we will get in touch with you to make appointments. Please do not call us, we will contact you.
We plan to vaccinate at least 1000 patients per week when vaccine supplies will allow this so that we can protect all of you who may be vulnerable to this illness and in as short as time as possible. This will be a considerable challenge for the local surgeries to deliver and I ask you to understand that we may need to prioritise some work so that we have the capacity to deliver this programme as we would like.
I wish you all a Happy and Safe Christmas
Dr Rob Childs
GP lead for Covid Vaccination in the Sherborne Area Network
29.05.20
Dorset residents encouraged to use NHS Test and Trace service
From this week, Dorset Council has developed its messages, asking people to “Respect our communities”
- Park considerately
- Stay 2m apart from others
- Don’t have BBQs or fires
- Take your rubbish home
No overnight stays
28.05.20
Sherborne HRC (tip) will reopen on Tuesday 2 June, however, there will be different measures in place for visitors to follow. All visitors wishing to use Sherborne HRC will need to first proceed to the Terrace Playing Fields car-park (situated on the southern edge of Sherborne at Dancing Hill). Here, you will take a paper ticket (like a supermarket deli counter) and join the queue for the HRC. When the queue at the HRC becomes short enough, you will be directed by on-site staff to travel to the HRC to drop off your waste. Visitors without a ticket will not be able to enter the recycling centre. Further details on the Dorset Council page in the link below.
21.05.20
Dorset Council press release - visitors, coronavirus in Dorset and car parks - re-opening and payment methods
13.05.20
Dorset Council Press Release regarding easing of lock down restrictions
06.05.20
The Grove Medical Centre and The Apples Medical Centre, Sherborne have sent the following important message for patients.
**REQUEST TO PATIENTS** Due to our limited supplies of face masks, if you have an appointment at the surgery and have your own mask or facial covering (doesn't need to be medical grade) we would really appreciate it if you could please wear it to save our supplies. We would also ask that if you are able, please attend the surgery on your own. Thank you so much!
23.04.20
Update on advertising planning applications in the former North Dorset area and part of the former West Dorset area
We have been notified that the Blackmore Vale Magazine has suspended publication for a temporary period due to the Covid-19 situation. Any planning applications requiring press advertisements that would normally be advertised in the Blackmore Vale Magazine will be publicised in the Western Gazette instead from 24 April onwards. This affects the former North Dorset area and part of the former West Dorset area only.
21.04.20
Dorset’s latest co-ordinated community response briefing is here: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/emergencies-severe-weather/emergencies/coronavirus/co-ordinated-community-response-brief.pdf
16.04.20
Dorset Council will be resuming its garden waste kerbside collections from Monday 27 April.
https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/2020/04/16/garden-waste-kerbside-collections-to-resume-soon/
31.03.20
Dorset Council have set up a community shield helpline for the public – this is available to all those qualifying for shielding under the government criteria of shielding for vulnerability, and for their carers and supporters. (Patients who qualify will have been sent a letter advising them to shield).
Contact: 01305 221022 communityresponse@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
No problem is too small to ask for help with – calls so far have asked for meds delivery, pet food collection, an isolation phone chat, info on Govt. food parcels etc.
The Grove Medical Centre has also issued new guidance on ordering medication and procedures at local pharmacies and on child vaccinations. Please see the Grove section in the drop down menu above.
29.03.20
Waste services: Important new rubbish and recycling guidance for all Dorset residents
28.03.20
New guidance from NHS Dorset - see information in the Covid-19 drop down menu above
27.03/20
From the end of Friday 27 March, Dorset Council waste services (previously known as the Dorset Waste Partnership) will be suspending all Garden Waste kerbside collections
https://news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/2020/03/27/garden-waste-kerbside-bin-collections-to-be-suspended/
24.03.20
Recycling and rubbish collections press release from Dorset Council - link below and text on the Recycling tab above.
Message from Dorset Police to the community about coronavirus
https://www.dorset.police.uk/news-information/article/9787