During in the month of February, the practice received and dealt with 3,629 E-Consults.

The hayfever season will soon be upon us...

Please see advice below on how to self-manage your symptoms.

Hay fever and promotion of Selfcare
The NHS England 2024 guidance on ‘conditions for which over the counter (OTC) medicines 
should not routinely be prescribed in primary care’ includes mild to moderate hay fever.
Many preparations for the treatment of hay fever can be purchased by patients from pharmacies 
without a prescription, including fexofenadine 120mg tablets (when over 12 years of age). These 
medications are often cheaper than the NHS prescription charge. 
Please note fexofenadine 180 mg tablets are indicated in adults and children 12 years and older 
for the relief of symptoms associated with chronic idiopathic urticaria, not for seasonal allergic 
rhinitis.
Prescribers are encouraged to promote self-care of hay fever symptoms as the new season 
shortly begins. For patients unsure of hay fever symptoms and treatment can be referred to Minor 
illness Pharmacy First in community pharmacy, where they can receive a consultation and 
discuss options of hay fever medicines they can purchase over the counter. 
Useful links include: 
• Promotion of self-care over-the-counter-quick-reference-guide.pdf
• ICS OTC Position statement and Patient information leaflet can be found here Over the counter (OTC) medicines :: NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight
• Intervention briefs, posters and digital screens can be found here Prescribing Savings Plan :: NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Our practice will be closed for the Easter Bank Holiday on the following dates: 

Friday 3rd April

Monday 6th April

As well as, Monday 4th May, Monday 25th May and Monday 31st August

If you need medical advice in this time please call 111 or visit 111 online, In an emergency call 999.

Notice to all patients and visitors, The Centre Practice will be CLOSED from 1pm onwards on TUESDAY 17 MARCH 2026, WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 2026 AND THURSDAY 9 JULY 2026

We apologise for any inconvience, our normal service will resume at 8am the following morning. 

If you need medical advice in this time please call 111 or visit 111 online

Fareham Centre Practice is working with NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to ensure the future of primary care is rightly considered as part of plans to regenerate Fareham’s town centre.

 The GP practice is currently in accommodation owned by NHS Property Services, with discussions continuing around the re-provision of this accommodation to another part of the town centre. All options remain on the table while the process is worked through to establish potential costs, future provision and services. The NHS welcomes the opportunity to engage in the programme to ensure value for money and the best possible healthcare for the community.

Why are you discouraging patients phoning in to get appointments? 

Because on-line access through eConsult is available throughout the day we have had to change the way we work to ensure the safety of patients. All requests are turned into eConsults. The safest and quickest way is for the patient to do this themselves using the on-line system. Reception is there to help those who can't do their own eConsult but this takes more time, is not as safe or accurate as the patient doing it themselves and it slows down the process of getting a consultation.

Can I book a Nurse appointment, HCA appointment or Blood test appointment by ringing reception?

Yes you can still book all of these via reception.

I don’t have NHS App – how can I do an econsult?

You can use econsult through NHS App or on line through our website: Appointments - Fareham Centre Practice. You don’t need any log information – just your name and date of birth. You can only use econsult if you have registered with Centre Practice.

I have completed and submitted an econsult – now what?

The GP team will view your econsult on the day it arrives. One of the team will Triage your econsult and decide how your problem should be dealt with.

We do not have funding for additional GPs to provide more appointments.

We hope to ensure those patients who truly require an appointment or to be seen face to face are seen by the appropriate clinician as soon as possible.

It may be that your problem can safely be managed by sending you information, advice or signposting to another service.

If you need an examination please be prepared to come in to be assessed.

When you submit your econsult you will be informed of the timescale for it being dealt with by econsult, we hope to adhere to that recommendation.

How can I get a GP appointment if I cannot use the internet?

Anyone can complete an econsult for you – ask a relative, carer  or friend to help. Alternatively our reception team can complete a short econsult on your behalf – they have been trained to do this. Ring reception and tell them you are unable to access econsult yourself, the receptionist will ask you the questions and type in your answers. This will mean longer calls with receptionists so it is very important that those who can, use econsult for themselves. If you come to reception a receptionist can talk you through an econsult there and complete one on your behalf – if you choose to do this, you should be aware that we have a public reception area and at the moment we will find it very difficult to find a confidential space to go through the form with you.

Why have you stopped Urgent Care Triage via phone calls to reception?

Our NHS contract requires us to offer on line access all the time during working hours. In order to provide this safely, we have had to change the way we work. This means that we have taken the tough decision to move to using on line access for all of our appointments – this includes our Urgent Care Triage service – the service will operate in the same way as before and you should continue to receive prompt care from us when your problem is Urgent.

I prefer to see a GP face to face – why can’t I just book an appointment?

Our NHS contract requires us to have on line access available to our patients during working hours. We expect this to generate a greater volume of appointment requests than ever before. We do not have funding for additional GPs to provide more appointments. We intend to triage all econsult forms submitted and aim to ensure that those patients who truly require an appointment or to be seen face to face are seen by the appropriate clinician as soon as possible.

You will be invited in to be seen face to face if the clinician feels you need to be seen in person. If consulting face to face is your preference, please state this on your eConsult – we will take this into consideration.

Why can’t I choose which GP I consult with?

econsult will ask you if you have a preferred person to deal with your problem – if you have a regular preferred GP then make sure you include that information when you complete your econsult. If we have availability we will try and match you with the right person to give you continuity of care.

Why is econsult not available after 5pm?

For reasons of patient safety, we aim to deal with all the econsults received by triaging them on the day they arrive. In order to do this safely we need the time to do this. We have an alternative on line form you can complete after 5 pm if you feel you cannot wait until 0800 the next working day to contact us. The aim of the alternative form is a safety net and if you get through it that means your problem can safely wait to be viewed by the GP team on the next working day, otherwise you will be signposted to appropriate same day services for your urgent problem.

I just need a prescription – do I have to use econsult?

You can request a repeat prescription using NHS App or you can email hiowicb-hsi.centrepracticescripts@nhs.net with your request. If you want a medication that has never been prescribed for you before or you think you need antibiotics please complete an econsult.

 Centre Practice are planning to change our patient access in order to meet the government contract. This means that we will be using E-consult as a Total Triage service from 05/01/2026.  The last date for the current system of booking telephone appointments will be Wednesday 24th December.  Our same day Triage service will change to E-consult first on 5th January.

 We know that this change will give our patients worries about accessing our service.  The Centre Practice Team are working hard to continue to provide our service as well as possible.  Please bear with us whilst we transition – this will be a stressful time for all.  We really want to be able to see the patients who need us most in a timely way and continue to provide a satisfactory NHS GP service.

 We are able to offer a comprehensive range of appointments. All appointments can either be booked at the front desk, phoning or by submitting an E-Consult online.  All E-consults will be read and processed by one of the team.  We will make decisions about urgency of response based on the information patients give us in the E-consult forms so please think carefully when you answer the questions.  You may be asked to submit another E-consult if you do not give enough information.

 We would like our patients to remember that the practice has just over 16500 patients.  The numbers of doctors and staff remains the same.  Please don’t expect the impossible, we are trying our best for you, we aim to continue offering a service as good as that we have been offering until now.

 As we have moved to total triage, the online consultation form (E-Consult) will be used, however, for patients who do not have online access, they can still telephone or come into the surgery and a member of reception will complete a form on their behalf which will be sent to the Doctor who will be triaging all requests.  (There is also internet access via the library or you could ask someone you trust to assist you).

 From the beginning of October 2025 general practice has been forced to make significant changes to their appointment systems and how the request for appointments is managed. The reason for the changes is a variation to the contracts, imposed by the government.  The main result of the changes is that when we have reached clinical safe working capacity we cannot ask patients to call back on another day.  This means that when all available appointments have been filled, patients will be directed to other services, such as local treatment centres but could include local pharmacies and other agencies.

If you feel strongly about these changes then please lobby your MP, please do not complain to the management team.  We share your frustration regarding the changes in accessing GP appointments.  We have been forced to do this and encourage you to contact the MP for Fareham by email / post to express your frustration.  Suella Braverman's email address is: suella.braverman.mp@parliament.uk

Or you can write to:  Suella Braverman MP, House of Commons, London.  SW1A 0AA

PLEASE NOTE: All Nurse, Health Care Assistant and Blood Test appointments can still be booked via the telephone.

Last month,  we utilised 8,953 appointments, including routine, telephone and nurse appointments.

The number of appointments that were not attended: 252

Please make sure to let the surgery know if you can not make the alotted time or if you need to reschedule before your appointment date. 

According to the World Health Organisation website "Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to anticirobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, anitbiotic and other antimicrobial agents become ineffectiveand infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death."

Worls AMR Awareness week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-reistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. 

To learn more, visit the WHO wesbite HERE

or watch the video below:

WHO World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Video ( #AntibioticGuardian #KeepAntibioticsWorking ) 

To all our patients and visitors

We would like to remind you, when coming into the practice, to please wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms.

Thank you 

Stoptober is back!

Why not Join the thousands of smokers committing to quit this October!

Even if youve tried before or its your very first time, now is THE time to quit smoking.

Did you know that if you make it to 28 days smoke-free, you’re 5 times more likely to quit for good! So why no take on the challenge.

Visit Better health for more resources, facts and  to create your own personal quitting plan.

Weve got your back!

Dear Patients, 

On Friday a batch text was sent to a large percentage of our patients informing them they could book their flu and covid jabs. Whilst we can book your flu jab, unfortunately you may only book your Covid jabs if you are eligible, to check if you ARE eligible please click here. or speak to one of our nurses in clinic.

We apologise for any inconvenience. 

We here at the Centre Practice understand that it may feel difficult to get an appointment or feel like your concerns arent being heard, however we want to assure you,  GP's are on your side. Demand is currently out weighing capacity. As In June 2025 another record-high of 63.0 million patients were registered with GP practices in England.  Yet, despite mulitple challenges, the number of daily appointments delivered in general practice is only increasing.

This powerful film gives an honest, clear look at the challenges in primary care and why supporting general practice is essential for the future of healthcare.

September is Prostate Cancer awareness month, with a focus on raising awareness and promoting early detection. 

This Month's aim is to encourage men to take proactive steps in managing their health, including regular screenings and discussions with healthcare providers about prostate health.

Here are some ideas to get involved with Prostate Cancer Awareness Month on your social media:

• Encourage your friends and family to wear blue and share photos and stories. (Blue is the colour associated with PC awareness)
• Share inspiring stories from survivors to encourage others and inspire hope
• Post about the importance of regular check ups and screenings.
• Promote fundraisers and events

For more information please visit the links below:

Prostate cancer | Cancer Research UK

Check your risk in 30 seconds | Prostate Cancer UK

Hydrate To Feel Great is a new initiative funded by NHS England. 

Its aim?

To help people over 65 reduce their risk of getting Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)'s by improving their hydration.

Why is hydration important?

Firstly, our bodies use water for almost every function, from keeping our minds sharp, to digestion. We need to care for ourselves by keeping our bodies topped up with water just as we would with plants or our beloved pets.

So, it’s important you stay hydrated yourself!

Why is the focus on over 65's?

There are many reasons why the initiative is focusing on Over 65's including:

• People over 65 make up the majority of UTI related hospital admissions
• Changes that occur as we age increase the risk of dehydration which in turn increases the risk of UTIs
• People over 65 suffer more serious consequences of UTIs and are more likely to require antibiotics

Symptoms of Dehydration

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, then you could be dehydrated:

Headaches
Constipation
Dry, fragile skin
Dizziness 

For more information on the initiative go to the Hydrate To Feel Great Website, where they offer different resources such as printable drink diaries and a Hydrations plan. 

July 22nd is World Brain Day!

What does it entail? Led by the World Federation of Neurology, it emphasizes the importance of brain health and the need for continued research and education.

This year’s theme is Brain Health for All Ages. This stresses that brain care is a lifelong commitment.

Regular exercise, monitoring blood pressure and staying mentally active, are all essential for brain disease prevention and overall well being.

Here's what you can do to get involved... 

• Join events: Participate in seminars, walks or online sessions focused on brain health and neurological awareness.
• Embrace healthy habits: Adopt brain friendly practices—daily exercise, nutritious diet, quality sleep, mental challenges and social engagement.
• Promote awareness: Share facts about early detection, stroke signs and dementia prevention using the hashtag #WorldBrainDay.
• Check in: Talk to a healthcare provider if you experience symptoms like memory loss, headaches or sudden changes in coordination

(more information)

Happy Pride month to all of our LGBT+ Patients & Staff from the Centre Practice.

Pride Month is an annual, colourful celebration honouring the LGBTQ+ community and their achievements and history, as well as acknowledging the ongoing struggles for equality they still face.

Here at the Centre Practice, we support everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

We endeavour to ensure all of our patients feel supported and heard.

Launched by the National Association for patient participation, Patient Participation Awareness Week aims to highlight the importance of said participation in achieving excellence in care for everyone.

Its aim is to promote the role and benefits of patient participation groups (PPG’s) to patients, the public and health professionals. Also to create more understanding of the value of true patient participation.

Here at the Centre Practice, we value the input of our PPG, taking suggestions on how we can improve our service, our accessibility and even how to make our website more user friendly.

For more information about the week click Here

& to find out how to get involved in our Patient Participation Group, click Here

The Centre Practice Patient Survey results report an overall 'good experience' from patients.

With 94% saying they find reception and admin teams helpful, and 88% reporting they knew the next steps to their healthcare after contacting their GP. 

Click to Access the full report Here

Dementia Action Week is an annual campaign led by the Alzheimer’s Society, its purpose is to encourage individuals, communities, and organizations across the UK to act in support of people affected by dementia. The event takes place between May 19^th- May 25^th  and focuses on raising awareness and challenging stigma.

Each year has a set focus, this year’s is on diagnosis and highlighting the most common symptoms of dementia

Did you know:

1 in 3 people in the UK living with dementia do not have a diagnosis

91% of people affected by dementia say there are benefits to getting diagnosis

For more information please visit The Alzheimer's Society directly, to find out more and to see how you can get involved.

Other helpful links:

Dementia Action Week

PPG Dementia Leaflet

April is finally here, and the start of it marks Stress Awareness Month 2025. This highlights a time for you to take charge of your wellbeing and explore varied ways to manage stress. 2025’s theme is ‘Lead with Love’, empowering those to approach themselves and others with kindness.

Below is a link to The Stress Management Society’s resources page, filled with ways to become proactive this April. The resources include:

• Information packs
• Podcasts
• Planners
• Workshops
• Journals
• And more…

Click here for more information 

The GP Exercise Referral Scheme is an NHS initiative designed to help patients with existing health conditions or people at risk of developing them.

It connects patients to tailored exercise programs, typically lasting 12 to 16 weeks, to improve their physical and mental well-being. The scheme aims to bridge healthcare and fitness, providing access to gym facilities at a concessionary rate. If you would like more information such as referral criteria, please click on services page

We are now inviting patients to book in for Spring booster vaccinations.

How to Book Your Vaccination: If you are eligible, you will be sent an invite to book your spring booster vaccination. Please use the booking link on the invite to book your appointment. We also have measures in place to contact our patients who do not have a mobile phone to invite you in for an appointment.

All vaccinations will be administered at Westlands Medical Centre through our Extended Access Service on Saturdays.

Who is eligible? 

• Adults aged 75 years and over
• Residents in care homes for older adults
• Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed

The Centre Practice is now offering patients the option to Self-refer to local pharmacies for Minor Illnesses, these include: 

• Cold or Flu symptoms

• Sore throat

• Cough

• Diarrhoea

• Skin / Rash issues

• Hay Fever

Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals and can offer clinical advice and medicines for all sorts of minor ailments, with a same day consultation at a time that suits you.

The referral process is secure and easy to access. Please complete the digital triage on the link below to see if your condition is appropriate for self referral

https://www.patienttriage.co.uk/centre-practice?serviceId=b33c1f59-66fb-410b-aa6d-f42674d334f8

(Please note: If you self-refer on a weekend, your referral will not be seen until the next working day) 

There has been an increase in patients sending in letters to the practice addressed to GP's about their general health concerns, test results and seeking appointments through this medium.

We appreciate it might not always be simple to get through to us, but if you are seeking a routine appointment, complete an econsult on this page. 

All letters will scanned onto patients records but will not be reviewed by a GP. 

Thank you.

If you are being referred via the e-referral system (previously known as choose & book), you will be sent referral booking/triage summary information. This paperwork will include instructions on your next step and the contact telephone number for the Outpatient Booking Centre. If you have any queries regarding your appointment, please ring the Outpatient Booking Centre on 02392 681700.

We understand that waiting for a hospital appointment can be overwhelming.

The My planned care website gives you advice and support while you wait and helps you to prepare for your hospital consultation, treatment, or surgery. This includes giving you up to date information about waiting times at your hospital and other supporting and local services.

https://www.myplannedcare.nhs.uk/

Would you like to be a part of our Patient Participation Group? 

The group meets at least twice a year to review the practice survey and plan improvements to the services we provide.

There is also a Fareham group where each of the ten practices in the area send a representative to discuss wider local issues.

So, if you are passionate about the Fareham community and how the practice provides for it, we would love to hear from you.

Go to our PPG page and fill out our sign up form today. 

When contacting the surgery please remember, we are here to help you.

Our staff have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times without the risk of threatening behaviour or violence.

This behaviour will not be tolerated towards staff.

In this leaflet you will find information, support numbers and symptoms which are often missed, put together by our Patient participation group.

It also importantly express's that 'It is possible to live well with dementia,'  and that if supported  'people with dementia are able to continue enjoying activities they have always enjoyed and even to try new ones.'

If you would like more information, please contact the surgery.

If you would like to be a part of our PPG, you can find out how here

Did you know most Pharmacies can help with a range of common conditions without needing to see a GP? 

The new Pharmacy First service was launched 31 January 2024 and adds to the existing consultation service. This enables community pharmacies to complete episodes of care for 7 common conditions following defined clinical pathways. 

For more information of how a Pharmacy can help you, and for a list of the conditions, click the below link 

How pharmacies can help - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Often, patients are requested by the Hospital to obtain a letter from the GP so their appointment can be expedited.

Waiting a longer time for an appointment does not deem your request urgent. According to figures from NHS England, a total of 7.42 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of May 2023, the highest since records began in August 2007. As a result, we are unable to write letters to expedite your appointment.

If you are experiencing worsening of your symptoms, we advise you to contact your specialist directly so they can assess your condition and make the necessary arrangements. If you have difficulty in accessing your consultant, we advise you to contact PALS for assistance.

Patient Advice Liaison Service :: Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust