Mill Stream patients are welcomed

Following the closure of Mill Stream Medical Centre in Storrington on Saturday May 31, senior partners Alan Bolt and Dr Tim Fooks of Pulborough Medical Group told the County Times that they are ‘sorry’ about the sudden closure, but look to the future.

Dr Fooks said: “We’re very sorry to hear the closure of Mill Stream surgery and we know that many patients greatly valued the services that the surgery has been able to offer them for many years and we wish Dr Bailey [Mill Stream senior partner] all the best.

“However, we want to reassure patients that we are very much able to look after them if they wish to come to Pulborough, and our catchment area extends to Ashington, Shipley, Petworth and Wisborough Green.”

Dr Fooks confirmed that Pulborough Medical Group was in negotiations with Dr Joanna Bailey of Mill Stream Medical Centre to help keep it from closure, but plans fell through.

He said: “We certainly offered to support Dr Bailey to find a way to maintain that practice and we’re sorry that it wasn’t possible.”

More than 350 residents from Mill Stream have signed up with Pulborough Medical Group, but 700 more are expected to join, according to partner Mr Bolt.

The surgery is currently advertising for more staff and have offered work opportunities for previous employees of Mill Stream.

Dr Fooks said: “Despite all the difficulties that the practice [Mill Stream] went through, only a few hundred left on the last year, but before that the list size was quite stable and that tells you how important the general practice is to people.

“I remember someone saying to me, sometimes we don’t think you doctors understand how important you are to us patients, and I think that’s true, it’s times like this you realise just what a valuable and important relationship it is.”

Dr Fook’s state-of-the-art surgery in Spiro Close, Pulborough, boasts a fully equipped surgery with ten consulting rooms, ten treatment rooms and a pharmacy.

Mr Bolt said: “We have a dermatology service, a mental health facility, physiotherapy, podiatry, hearing aid audilolgy assessments and a sexual health clinic.”

Many services are also available to patients in the wider area.

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