A DORSET GP practice has told patients they are cancelling routine appointments until January to allow for more Covid vaccinations clinics.

Medics and staff at The Blandford Group Practice have told staff they will be running Covid vaccination clinics from Thursday December 16 at their Whitecliff site.

In a message to patients and the community on their Facebook page, a spokesperson said: "To enable us to deliver this service we will be suspending routine appointments from Thursday 16th December 2021 to 31st December 2021.

"During this period the eConsult facility will also be unavailable. We thank you in advance for your understanding."

The post says GPs and practice nurses have been through appointments to assess who can be safely delayed.

Patients have been urged to treat staff kindly when they are contacted as the "Patient Services Team have not made any clinical decisions".

"It has not been their decision to cancel your appointment", the statement adds.

An urgent on the day system will be run from the Eagle House site.

On vaccinations, staff will be emailing out booking links to patients as well to help with call load.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister thanked NHS workers for their “incredible efforts” in a letter and called for their help in delivering the “biggest, fastest vaccination drive this country has ever seen”.

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It comes as the Government has said all eligible adults in the UK will be offered the chance to get a booster jab before the end of the year to curb the spread of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, which is already driving a spike in Covid-19 infections.

The British Medical Association trade union noted that the booster rollout will affect routine services, and challenged the Prime Minister to fulfil his promise of Government support for the NHS.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “As the Prime Minister has outlined in his letter to the NHS this evening, the accelerated booster campaign is the largest of its kind this country has ever seen, and staff are working around the clock to ensure as many jabs are offered before the end of the month.

“It is a Herculean task, and while we will try our very best to achieve it, Government must be aware of the reality of what they are asking us to do."