The future of GP services in Balcombe (Gilletts)

The Ouse Valley practice team are informing our patients in Balcombe and surrounding areas about potential significant changes to how we are arranging your local GP service.

These changes may particularly affect people using the Balcombe surgery (Gilletts).

After careful consideration, we will be submitting an application to the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board to close Gilletts Surgery and provide all services from the existing surgery in Handcross at Dumbledore Primary Care Centre. If approved, the closure of Balcombe surgery would not happen until 2025.

The decision to apply to close the Balcombe branch surgery is to create a safer, improved GP service for now and in the future.

While we are aware the service in Balcombe is highly valued by the community, this letter explains the background to this decision. It sets out how we intend to minimise its impact on patients who use the Balcombe surgery and create a GP service that delivers an improved service and better health outcomes.

It is important to be clear that all Ouse Valley Practice patients will remain registered with the practice and you will not need to re-register. Under the proposed plan, all our patients will be able to access appointments at our Handcross surgery by phoning the practice or booking online, home visits will continue for patients who need them.

We also ask for your help in reshaping how we do things and how we can make sure no one is overlooked or has problems attending the Handcross surgery when they need to.

Please read the letter in full which details the reasons and rationale behind this decision:

If you have any questions, further information can be found in our FAQs:

To help us fully understand how this change will affect our patients, we invite you to complete a survey, which can be accessed on the here: Ouse Valley possible branch closure survey | NHS Sussex (govocal.com)

Paper copies are also available at the surgery.