DORKING HOSPITAL

Dorking Hospital Outpatients Department was run by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust until April 2005. In April 2005, the responsibility for the running of the department transferred to the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey Primary Care Trust (now part of Surrey PCT). The PCT, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust and Dorking Healthcare worked together to arrange this change and to plan for the development of services in the department.

DHC initially worked with the PCT and both Surrey & Sussex Healthcare and Epsom & ST Helier Trusts to introduce new specialities and additional consultants for existing specialities. Then DHC took over the operational management of the community hospital outpatients department and set about improving standards and services.

The journey has included taking over the provision of the local ultrasound service, in December 2008, when the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare Trust decided not to replace the local machine.

DHC started providing services in June 2005 with 11 clinics each month. It now provides over 300 clinics a month covering a wide range of outpatient services, direct access ultrasound, physiotherapy, counselling and consultant psychiatry.

Patients referred to Dorking Healthcare as NHS patients will not have to pay for any element of their treatment (except possibly normal prescription charges).

NHS Surrey (Surrey Primary Care Trust) has responsibility for the commissioning (purchasing) of services for Dorking patients. The PCT has decided to purchase some services from Dorking Healthcare.

Dorking Healthcare provides outpatient services at a 10% discount compared to the national tariff prices paid to local acute hospitals. This discount saves the NHS about £150, 000 each year. We also have worked to reduce the number of follow up appointments needed by our patients. We believe the reduction we have achieved in the number of follow up appointments saves the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.