Ouse Valley Practice

Update on Branch Closure and Medication Collection Point

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As part of our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality healthcare to all of our patients, we are writing to inform you of important updates regarding the closure of our Gilletts Surgery in Balcombe and the availability of the medication collection point in Balcombe Village.


Branch Closure Timeline – Stepped Approach

Following our letter on the 3rd March 2025 confirming the closure of Gilletts Surgery, we are now in a position to share important dates as we lead up to the closure of the branch.

Appointments – the final date for clinic appointments at the surgery will be Friday 23rd May 2025. All future appointments will be based from our main site, Dumbledore Primary Care Centre in Handcross.

Medication Collection – the final date to collect medication from the dispensary at Gilletts Surgery will be Friday 23rd May 2025. Any medication not collected by this date and moving forward should be collected from our main site, Dumbledore Primary Care Centre in Handcross.


Medication Collection and Request Point in Balcombe

We are aware of the importance of easy access to medications and we are pleased to provide the following update on the medication collection point in Balcombe.

  • We have reviewed and explored a number of options relating to a medication collection point in the village. We are pleased to confirm that the new JoCo Café (previously the Balcombe Tea Rooms) in Balcombe will be a designated medication collection point for patients. The collection times are to be as follows from Monday 9th June 2025:
    • Monday 14.00 – 15.00
    • Wednesday 14.00 – 15.00
    • Thursday 14.00 – 15.00
    • Friday 14.00 – 15.00
  • More information on how to “opt in” to use the JoCo collection point will be available next week. We understand there is a 2 week gap between closure of our Balcombe dispensary and the opening of the JoCo collection point. If you feel you may require support during this period please contact the practice via email: sxicb-wsx.ousevalleypractice@nhs.net or via phone 01444 405750.
  • In addition to the daytime collection availability at JoCo, we are also exploring the option for an evening pick up once per week at another central location. We will give further details on this as soon as they are confirmed.
  • We have explored the option of using the local village stores, and unfortunately this has been unsuccessful for a number of reasons outside the control of the stores and the practice. We would like to thank the team in the village stores for working with us to explore this option.
  • All dispensing patients will be able to have medication dispensed and processed at our main site at Handcross.
  • Patients are also able to access medication via online pharmacies or other pharmacies should they choose to.
  • We have reviewed our current delivery service which has mainly supported our clinically housebound patients and have increased this to incorporate and meet the needs of those patients highlighted in our clinical system as severely frail or severely vulnerable. We will make contact with those patients with regards to the service we are able to offer.
  • Please note that the medication request post box located at Gilletts Surgery has now moved. This is located outside the Balcombe Village stores on the right of the shop front. Should you wish to request repeat medication you can do so online, via the NHS App or via the post boxes located at Balcombe Village Stores or Handcross Surgery. The post box will be emptied at least 3 times a week.
  • We are aware a number of patients have indicated concerns around transport links from Balcombe to Handcross. The Balcombe Care Group have been working hard to recruit additional volunteers to meet any increase in demand to support the community with attendance to appointments with the closure of our branch surgery. We would like to thank the Balcombe Care Group for the response and support in offering this service to the community and our patients. If you would like support from the Balcombe Care Group, they can be contacted on 01444 811312.


Parking and Transport to our main site, Dumbledore Primary Care Centre, Handcross

We are aware of the concerns raised by our patients and our PPG regarding the access to parking at our Handcross site and transport links.

  • We are pleased to confirm that we have engaged with the local primary school in Handcross to ensure that parking at the surgery is used for patients only. It was requested that an update was shared with parents and carers regarding the use of the car park and to seek alternative parking arrangements. This is something the practice will continue to review and seek further alternatives should this improvement not be maintained.
  • We have explored a parking management solution to ensure only our patients utilise the car park. At the present time we have not deployed a parking management system. We will continue to review our car parking arrangements and will update patients should the situation change.
  • The practice have worked hard to identify patients via our clinical systems and searches to highlight patients that would find it challenging to reach us at Handcross, we will be writing to these patients to encourage them to seek support from the Balcombe Care Group with regards to transport.
  • We would like to reassure our clinically housebound patients that the services they receive will be unaffected by the closure of Gilletts Surgery.

Support and Further Information

We understand that these changes may raise questions, and we are here to assist you. If you have any concerns or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email to sxicb-wsx.ousevalleypractice@nhs.net or via post.


We will also be holding a drop in session for patient to come and speak to us regarding this update on Monday 19th May 2025 at Gilletts Surgery 09:30am – 11:30am.


Thank you for your understanding and continued trust in our services. We value your health and well-being and are committed to ensuring you receive the best possible care throughout this process.


Yours sincerely,
Drs Hardingham, Briggs, Camilleri and Farrant
GP Partners
Ouse Valley Practice