News

'Think Autism' & 'Skills Supports' Local Services Available

The Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group have produced a leaflet for the local community outlining the services available to those who need help and advice about Autism.

Click here for the full electronic form for your information.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/autistic-spectrum-disorders 

Do you know someone in the Askern and district area who suffers from Learning Disabilities, Autism, Aspergers, Mental Health Problems, Sensory Impairment or who may need help to understand their medication? Then they could receive help from Skills Support Ltd. Based in Askern House, Askern High Street. They can assist with every day activities such as visiting the GP, having a coffee out with friends, going shopping or learning new skills for themselves. 

Click here for their leaflet or contact them on: 01302 701744, or email: info@skillssupport.co.uk 

If you need further information on Learning disabilities the NHS Choices Website have some handy links to information to help you.

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/childrenwithalearningdisability/Pages/Childrenwithalearningdisabilityhome.aspx 

Askern Spa Well Being Club

Do you feel you could benefit from joining a warm, friendly group to enjoy some good conversation, gentle exercise, activities and make new friends in a spacious, clean and accessible place?

The Askern Spa Well Being Club can offer this and much more. They have light refreshments at a reasonable rate open to all. Young, old, new parents, kids, babies and senior citizens, all are welcome.

The group is based at the St. Peter's Church Community Centre, Church Street Askern (but is not a religious group). If you would like to drop in, volunteers run the club every Friday between 10:30am and 2pm and would love to see you.  All donations of tea and coffee would be welcomed by the volunteers.

If you would like some more information on what activities take place or how you can get involved please contact Mandi Bell on 07962 373266.

Changes to our Appointment Booking System – From 1st April 2026

Last year, we introduced changes to how patients access appointments by moving to a total triage model. While we understand this approach did not suit everyone, feedback from our Friends and Family Test showed that most patients were satisfied with this way of working.

However, due to changes in the NHS England 2026/27 contract, which come into effect from Wednesday 1st April, we are required to make further adjustments to how we operate.

What is changing?

Urgent / Same-day appointment requests
These must be requested by telephone or by coming into the practice.

Routine appointment requests or queries
Please complete the online triage form, available Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 6:30pm.
If you are unable to complete the form yourself, our reception team will be happy to help complete it on your behalf. However, if you are able to submit the form independently, please do so to help keep phone lines free for our most vulnerable patients.

Important
All requests - whether urgent or routine - will continue to be clinically triaged before an appointment is offered. This helps ensure you are seen by the right clinician the first time.

For your safety, DO NOT submit urgent requests through this form. Urgent messages may be missed as the form will be monitored for routine requests only.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

We are Proud to be a Safe Surgery

Lung Cancer Screening is Back in Doncaster!

We’re pleased to share that the Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) Programme has returned to Doncaster, and eligible patients will soon be receiving their invitation letters.

LCS helps to find lung cancer early, when treatment options - including curative treatment - are more effective. It’s the biggest programme in NHS history aimed at improving early lung cancer diagnosis, and its success means it’s now being rolled out across the country as a national screening programme.

Scanning location: Adwick Leisure Centre

If you or someone you know receives an invite letter, please be reassured it’s genuine - this is not a scam. Attending your screening appointment is very important, even if you feel well and have no symptoms. Early detection saves lives.

Please do encourage family, friends, and patients to take up their Lung Cancer Screening invite.

Find more information here.

Take Control of Your Pelvic Health with GetUBetter!

We’re excited to share the GetUBetter Pelvic Health App, now tailored with local service information just for you!

This FREE app supports you through every stage of pelvic health, with:

• A general pelvic health module
• Pregnancy and postnatal pelvic health guidance
• A menopause section packed with useful advice
• Videos with translation options in 8 languages and a touch-to-speak feature for easy access

Whether you’re looking for expert advice, local support, or self-management tips, GetUBetter is here to help - right from your phone. Download the GetUBetter Pelvic Health app today and start your journey to better pelvic wellbeing!

Weight Loss Injection Update (e.g. Mounjaro)

We know many of you have been asking about new weight-loss medications like Mounjaro.

South Yorkshire ICB have confirmed that these are not currently available on the NHS in our area for weight loss. They are on the red (non-prescribable) list until a full NHS service is launched to support and monitor treatment. This means we cannot prescribe Mounjaro or similar medications for weight loss at the surgery right now.

Who will be eligible when the new service starts?

In the first 12 months, only a small number of patients will qualify. You must:

• Have a BMI over 40
• Meet at least 4 of these 5 conditions:
• 2 diabetes
• blood pressure
• apnoea
• disease or stroke
• cholesterol/triglycerides

Need help with weight loss now?

We’re still here to support you with:

• NHS weight management referrals
• Healthy lifestyle & diet advice
• Medication reviews and risk assessments

We’ll keep you updated when the new service goes live!