A DOCTORS surgery in Blandford has been forced to suspend non-urgent routine appointments due to “a lapse in public liability insurance”.

Covid and flu vaccinations at the clinic may be affected as The Blandford Group Practice has had to halt appointments.

Patients can still attend the practice for urgent care but those with appointments are asked to wait for further updates.

The surgery’s online consultation is also postponed at this moment in time.

Staff have appealed for patience from the public as they work to resolve the issue.

In a statement on their website, the practice said: “The Blandford Group Practice has had to make the difficult decision to temporarily postpone non-urgent routine appointments due to a lapse in public liability insurance.

“Our team are working extremely hard to put measures in place to allow services to return to normal at the earliest opportunity, this includes the weekend vaccination clinics.

“We would like to reassure patients that this is an insurance issue and not a clinical care issue.

“We recognise this will inconvenience a number of our patients and we thank all those who have been inconvenienced for their patience at a time where practice staff are already under considerable pressure.

“Arrangements are being made to ensure urgent care can continue and we hope to be able to provide a further update shortly.

“The eConsult facility will be unavailable until further notice.

“If you have urgent health needs, please visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111. In a life-threatening situation do not hesitate, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.”

A spokesperson from NHS Dorset CCG added: “We are aware of the situation at the Blandford Group Practice and are continuing to work alongside local partners to support them.”