A POPULAR weekend doctors’ service in Christchurch has been commissioned indefinitely.

The weekend GP facility led by the team at Highcliffe Medical Centre, in partnership with Christchurch Medical Practice, launched last June and has supported thousands of residents.

After nine months, Dorset CCG and Dorset Healthcare Trust has backed the service to continue.

Ravin Ramtohal, group partner at Highcliffe Medical Centre, has been at the forefront of the weekend offering, which sees one doctor, one nurse practitioner and one receptionist provide a convenient port of call for residents.

Appointments can be made by calling 111 or through GPs on a Friday afternoon.

Each weekend, the service has been visited by between 60 and 120 patients, with some Saturdays hitting the 64-patient capacity.

On the success of the weekend service he worked to introduce, Dr Ramtohal said: “It makes you feel nice. All the doctors, nurses and receptionists trained to deliver a service.

“In my role, I always wanted to be able to do this.

“The weekend service reduces our workload on Mondays, which used to be busy when we did not open over the weekend.

“Moving forward we have additional funding.

“We also have Dorset Healthcare’s rehab team and community nurses in at weekends.”

Dr Ramtohal is also Christchurch locality lead, which gives him the responsibility for bringing the services people need to the area.

He said work from Sally Sandcraft, Dorset CCG director of primary and community care, Richard Jenkinson, of Christchurch Medical Practice, Emma Prince project manager for improving access in Bournemouth and Christchurch and Ben Sharland, of James Fisher Practice, had been key to the service’s success.

He added: “We did a written feedback form but 40 people emailed the CCG directly to give good responses but the Facebook feedback speaks for itself and it has been great.

“There have been no complaints so far and it has worked well with Christchurch Medical Practice offering the service once every three weeks.

“A lot of hard work has gone into it from the staff.”