Due to clinical staffing shortages at Victoria Park Medical Centre, Bridgwater, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily provide a reduced service at the Practice for seven days from Monday 26July 2021 until Monday 2 August 2021.
This is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but our priority is the safety of our patients and to ensure those most in need of care are able to continue to access the support they need.
What this means for registered patients at the practice
At present, there is no immediate action registered patients need to take.
Patients who have GP appointments booked which will be impacted by the temporarily reduced service will be contacted by the surgery directly.
Appointments booked with a nurse practitioner will continue as planned at the Practice. If an appointment needs to be altered the surgery will contact you directly.
Please do not contact the surgery to enquire about an appointment you have booked, the surgery will contact those affected directly.
The Practice’s online services, other than prescription services, will also be turned off during this time.
How you can access care
Patients who require same day urgent care can still contact Victoria Park Medical Centre in the usual way. Patients will be triaged by the surgery and arrangements will be made for care to take place at the most appropriate alternative practice where this is required.
If you need to book a routine GP appointment we would ask that you please wait until after Monday 2 August.
If you need urgent medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation you can also call the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, you should call 999.
If you have any further questions
We have produced a patient Q&A document to help answer any questions you may have.
To allow staff to focus on contacting patients who have appointments booked or require urgent care, we would ask you not to contact the surgery directly if you have any queries regarding the temporary reduction in service.
If you have any questions about the future provision of services at the practice please contact the CCG’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 085 1067 or email somccg.pals@nhs.net
Please be assured that Somerset CCG is working with the practice, local practices and NHS England and Improvement to review the options to ensure we can continue to provide safe ongoing local access to GP services.
We will continue to provide updates to patients regarding any next steps or if any action is required by patients.
Information is also available on Victoria Park Medical Centre’s website.