West Wight Medical Practice: your key questions answered
Below are answers to some key questions which you may find helpful to know about the changes to Yarmouth Surgery, in Station Road, Yarmouth.
What is happening to the Yarmouth Surgery site?
The site is owned by a group of landlords who had indicated they would like to sell the building. A planning application has been put in to Isle of Wight Council to convert the building for residential use.
Can I view the planning application?
Yes you can – visit https://publicaccess.iow.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QGN4IFIQ07D00
Does West Wight Medical Practice object to this?
The landlords have been in regular dialogue with us about these changes and overall we do not object to the proposal, as we will still be able to see and treat you at our main site in Brookside Health Centre, Queens Road, Freshwater.
This site has recently been updated so it now includes additional GP and healthcare assistant consultation rooms, which has increased capacity to see people.
Will I have to re-register to another practice?
No you will not. The Brookside Health Centre has been upgraded so it includes additional consultation rooms, which means no one will be forced to re-register with another practice.
Will there still be the same number of staff working?
There are no planned job losses and the practice will continue to have three permanent GPs, three advanced nurse practitioners, a nurse consultant, pharmacist, four healthcare assistants, eight practice nurses, and a musculoskeletal practitioner. There are plans to increase the team with additional roles through the practice’s Primary Care Network as we go forwards.
Is Yarmouth Surgery currently open?
Patients who regularly use the services with West Wight Medical Practice will already be aware the branch site in Yarmouth would, at times, close in order for staff to provide safer and more resilient support at the main site in Freshwater.
The Yarmouth building is a small former residential property with a narrow entrance and hallway and it is not possible to keep patients safely distanced under Covid-19 guidelines. This is why the correct decision was made to temporarily close the Yarmouth Surgery site in March this year at the start of lockdown.
This allowed the practice to provide a clinically-safe and resilient service in Freshwater. By having a greater pool of GPs, clinical staff and admin staff at one site meant the surgery was able to continue providing services throughout the pandemic.
The branch surgery will remain closed as we continue to respond and see patients safely and with the required safe distance and infection protection measures at the Brookside Surgery.
I live in Yarmouth, how can I get to Freshwater?
We appreciate that it will be a loss of convenience for some patients who will have to travel to Freshwater. There is a large pay and display car park adjacent to Brookside, and bus routes which stop at our front door.
How do I get an appointment?
Due to the covid-19 restrictions, and to ensure we keep both you and our staff safe, we ask that you continue to call the practice on 01983 758998 or visit our website to make an appointment.
To reduce the number of people waiting inside our building, we ask you to make an appointment first, before coming in.
If you display symptoms of coronavirus, then please do not attend the surgery. Instead you must self-isolate and book in for a covid-19 test. You can do this by calling 119 or visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test The symptoms of the virus are:
- A high temperature
- A new continuous cough
- Loss of taste/smell
What happens next?
Isle of Wight Council will consider the application and then notify the landlords of their decision. We will continue to keep you informed.
