West Meads Doctors Surgery

29/07/2026

💚 Join Our Monthly Diabetes Peer Support Group Next Wednesday 💚

If you are living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or have been told you are pre-diabetic, and are registered with us, Maywood Surgery or Grove House Surgery , you are warmly invited to come along.

There’s no need to book – just drop in, meet others in a similar situation, and share experiences, tips and mutual support in a welcoming, informal environment.

27/07/2026

🧠 World Head and Neck Cancer Day

Today is World Head and Neck Cancer Day, a reminder of the importance of spotting symptoms early and coming forward for checks.

Head and neck cancers can affect the mouth, throat, voice box, nose and sinuses. They are often linked to smoking, alcohol, and in some cases HPV infection. Early diagnosis makes a big difference to treatment options and outcomes.

Please don’t ignore:

• A persistent sore throat or hoarse voice
• A lump in the neck, mouth or throat
• A mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal within 3 weeks
• Difficulty swallowing
• Unexplained weight loss

If you have any of these symptoms for 3 weeks or more, please contact the surgery to discuss them – most people with these symptoms will not have cancer, but it’s important to get checked.

You can read more about cancer prevention and early diagnosis on NHS England’s cancer pages:

NHS England » Prevention

24/07/2026

Join us on Wednesday 5th August for our exciting Bric-a-Brac & Tombola, proudly organised by our wonderful Friends of West Meads (FOWMs)! 🎉

Come along, browse for bargains, try your luck on the tombola, and help support us. Every purchase and ticket helps raise valuable funds that benefit our practice.

✨ Don't miss our Silent Auction! You could win a professionally prepared Will, generously donated by SMR Solicitors. It's a fantastic prize and a wonderful opportunity to support the practice while bidding on something truly valuable. Please visit our reception team to complete a form with the amount you would like to bid.

Bring your family and friends – we'd love to see you there! 💙

📅 Wednesday 5th August
🎟️ Bric-a-Brac & Tombola
📍 Hosted by FOWMs

24/07/2026

Happening this summer at The Phoenix Centre 🌞

We’re pleased to share some fantastic local community events taking place at The Phoenix Centre this summer:

Family Fun Day – 3rd August
A great day out for all the family with activities and entertainment.

Free meals for children under 11
Available over the summer – helping to support local families during the holidays.

Community Hub Event – 11th August 2026
Come along to find out about local services, support, and activities in your area.

These are community-run events (not organised by the practice), but we’re delighted to help spread the word. Please see the below posters from The Phoenix Centre for more details, timings and how to get involved.

23/07/2026

Has your child missed their school vaccinations?

If your child has missed a school vaccination (such as HPV, MenACWY or teenage boosters), they may still be able to catch up.

School-age vaccinations are usually provided by the School Aged Immunisation Service, not by GP practices. If you think your child has missed a vaccine:

Check any letters or emails from the school vaccination team

Contact the local School Aged Immunisation Service for catch-up arrangements
You can also find information on the NHS vaccination schedule here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-complete-routine-immunisation-schedule

If you are unsure who to contact, please see our practice website or speak to reception, and we will direct you to the appropriate service.

22/07/2026

Living with a long-term health condition? You don't have to manage it alone. 💙

The Living Well Programme from Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is a free six-week self-management course designed to help adults living with long-term health conditions build confidence, learn practical skills, and connect with others in a supportive group setting.

📅 Thursdays, 10 September – 15 October 2026
🕙 10:00am – 12:30pm
📍 The Shore Community Church, 73 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, PO21 2TD

Over six weekly sessions, you'll explore practical ways to manage your health, symptoms and wellbeing in a friendly, supportive environment.

⚠️ Booking is essential and places are limited, so early booking is recommended.

For more information or to book:
📧 [email protected]
📞 01403 620448 or 01273 267545

Please scan the QR code on the poster or visit the Sussex Community NHS Living Well webpage for further information.

20/07/2026

We love receiving feedback from our patients – it really does make a difference to how we run the practice and improve our services.

Your comments help us to:

➡Understand what is working well
➡Identify where things could be better
➡Shape future changes to appointments, access and patient experience

If you’ve recently used our services, please take a moment to share your thoughts.

Thank you for helping us to keep improving the care we provide to our community.

16/07/2026

📢 Practice Closure for Protected Learning Time (PLT)

Our surgery will be closed for a Protected Learning Time (PLT) session on:

🗓️ Thursday 16th July
⏰ From 12:30 to 18:00

This time is used for essential staff training and development so we can continue to provide safe, high‑quality care to our patients.

🔹 During this time, the surgery building and phone lines will be closed.
***Please call 01293 698088***
🔹 If you need urgent medical help while we are closed, please contact:

NHS 111 (online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111), or
999 in a life‑threatening emergency .

We will reopen as normal on Friday 17th July at 8:30am.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

For more information on how general practice uses protected learning time to improve patient care, you can see NHS England’s guidance on primary care support and development:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/

15/07/2026

Over the last month, our practice has been working hard to meet growing demand, and we wanted to share a snapshot of what that looks like:

🩺 Appointments: We provided 5,382 appointments, including face‑to‑face, telephone and nurse clinics.
💊 Prescriptions: Our team processed 3,561 prescription requests, supported by our pharmacy team to help free up GP time for clinical care.
❌ Missed appointments (DNAs): Unfortunately, 144 appointments were missed without cancellation. These lost slots could have been offered to other patients who needed to be seen.
Missed appointments have a real impact on access and workload for the whole team. If you can’t attend, please let us know as early as possible so we can offer the appointment to someone else.

Thank you to everyone who attends on time, cancels when they can’t make it, and uses our services considerately – it really helps us manage demand and provide safer, more timely care for all our patients.

13/07/2026

☕ Looking for a friendly place to enjoy a cuppa and meet others?

Bradshaw Lodge Care Home is hosting a Wellbeing Coffee Morning every Wednesday from 10:00am–11:30am.

Pop along for:
🍰 Tea, coffee and cakes
💬 A friendly chat
🤝 An opportunity to meet new people in a welcoming environment

This is a lovely chance for local residents, carers and anyone who would enjoy some social connection to come together.

📍 Bradshaw Lodge Care Home
Shripney Road, Shripney, Bognor Regis, PO22 9PA

📞 01243 680417
✉️ [email protected]

Everyone is welcome.