Walford Mill Medical Centre

SELF-CARE - Getting the right help and services

The winter months are always a busy time for GP Practices.

There may be another service or healthcare professional that you can see to give you the support you need without contacting the Practice. Find the right service for your needs at https://staywelldorset.nhs.uk/

Everyone has an important role to prevent illness and minor issues like coughs and colds, sore throats, or ear infections can be easily treated at home with cheap medicines from your local pharmacy without needing an appointment or prescription.

Medicine cabinet essentials include:

• Pain relief (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen)
• Cough or sore throat remedies
• First aid kit (plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes)
• Oral rehydration salts
• Heartburn and indigestion treatment
• A thermometer

Stocking up on these essentials will not only help you feel better sooner and save you time, but also help the NHS save much needed resources.

SELF-CARE information for six common conditions this winter - coughs, colds, sore throat, ear infection, sinusitis & conjunctivitis

Try the NHS App

If you’re a patient at our practice, you can use the NHS App to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.

It doesn’t replace existing services. You can still contact us in the usual ways.

But, once you have verified your identity in the app, you will have easy, 24/7 access to a growing range of health services and information. You can: 

• order repeat prescriptions
• access NHS 111 online
• find NHS services
• view your health records
• book appointments
• and much more… 

If you have any problems using the NHS App, you can select ‘help’ in the top right-hand corner of the app or visit nhs.uk/helpmeapp.

Why are patients struggling to get through to their GP?  Read here

Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme 

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A thank you to our Team and Patients from the Partners.

We would like to acknowledge the achievement of our Team at Walford Mill Medical Centre. At a time of national crisis in the NHS where expectations outweigh reality, our staff continue to help patients to the best of their ability. This has been recognised by the yearly GP Survey and monthly Friends & Family Survey. In the GP Survey 92% of respondents found our Receptionists (Care Navigators) helpful, 97-99% found their healthcare professional gave them enough time, listened to them, treated them with care and concern and met their needs. The monthly Friends and Family response consistently shows over 98% would recommend WMMC.

Shockingly, there are weekly incidents of verbal aggression to our Team. Although a minority, it has a negative impact on stretched staff who come to work to help people. We are human and fallible but many frustrations lie in things beyond our control - National Safety Prescribing Guidance, long hospital waits, private appointments to name a few. Our Practice ethos is for equitable and timely care for all based on clinical need. A sincere thank you to our patients for self-managing where possible, working with us, your patience, kindness and positive feedback.

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We are acting very cautiously and are maintaining the need for:

Face coverings for those with respiratory symptoms

PPE for healthcare staff

It is our duty to do all we can to keep both our patients and our staff safe whilst we deliver our care.

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Health Chiefs in England are encouraging parents to be aware of the signs of respiratory illnesses in young children, as data from Public Health England (PHE) shows cases are starting to rise in parts of the country. Respiratory illnesses, including colds and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are very common in young children and we see them every year. Click here for more information.

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Worried about your child? Visit the Healthier Together website: click here for helpful advice and reassurance. The 0-18 website is designed to give reassurance, help you know when you should be worried, and offer care advice when your child is ill.

Visit the new Castleman Youth page for information on what services are available to young people including the Castleman and Public Health self care video.

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The YOU Trust is a charity that has been supporting vulnerable people across Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, the Isle of Wight, and West Sussex since 1985. We work across a wide range of specialist areas from Learning Disabilities to Mental Health and Stalking, Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Services and everything we do is about ensuring the people we support can have the life they want. For more information see You First.

We share your medical records with other services treating you.  For full details, please see our page on your personal data.

For more information please see documents below.

Choosing which organisations can view your record

Connecting your care. What does this mean for you?

Providing patient centred care in a timely & equitable way

Walford Mill Medical Centre is a long-established Wimborne Practice and our aim is to provide a high standard of service for our patients, based on traditional values of family medicine. We have designed this website to help you get the most out of our Surgery by informing you of the services we offer.

Walford Mill Medical Centre is a purpose-built GP surgery.  It is situated in a picturesque part of Wimborne adjacent to Walford Mill and the River Allen.  The Surgery is sympathetically designed to be in keeping with its surroundings and is equipped to the highest standards so that we can ensure the best possible medical care for our patients.  We have five GP consulting suites, three nurse treatment rooms, an adjoining pharmacy (a business independent from the Surgery) and a spacious patient waiting area.

There is ample car parking at the Medical Centre and in the adjacent Walford Mill Craft Centre public car park.

We have a dedicated team of Healthcare Professionals who are on hand to help with any problems, backed up by a committed Patient Services Team who are trained to offer a high standard of care navigation through the healthcare system.