Patients praise doctors at surgery near Horsham following 'working from home' revelations

It emerged this week that one of Rudgwick Medical Centre’s three GPs has been conducting online consultations from her home 250 miles away.

The practice announced on its website that it could offer fewer face-to-face appointments and said that Dr Justine Hall had moved to Cornwall.

It said: “In line with many GPs now working remotely, we are very lucky to continue to be supported by Dr Hall who has now moved to Cornwall but will be working remotely for us for two days a week, but this does also mean a further reduction in our ability to offer face-to-face appointments.”

The revelation prompted surprise and dismay among some, but others have leapt to the medical centre’s defence.

The medical centre itself said in a statement: “At Rudgwick Medical Centre, our priority is to provide the best possible care to our patients in a variety of ways that suit our patients’ needs and preferences.

“Face-to-face appointments with GPs are only one part of the large range of services we offer our patients, as some prefer to have an online or phone appointment to fit around other arrangements.

“There are currently two GPs working permanently at the surgery along with locum GPs who all provide face-to-face appointments, as well as Dr Hall, who provides remote consultations two days per week.

"With years of experience caring for patients in Sussex, when Dr Hall decided to relocate, it was decided that she should stay on as a part time, remote GP to provide the best possible care and continuity to our patients.

"When patients need a face-to-face appointment, there are many options available for them to see a GP face-to-face and receive the most appropriate care for their needs.

“As with many modern GP practices, we also have additional staff such as nursing and healthcare assistants to provide appointments for minor illnesses and routine procedures. This allows us to free up time for GPs to see patients for longer-term, more complex illnesses.

“We aim to provide the very best care for our patients. If any patients have concerns about any aspect of their care, we would encourage them to contact us directly so we can investigate their concerns through our complaints procedure [email protected] or contact the practice by phone.”

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It added that in October 2022, 92.7 per cent of appointments at Rudgwick were face to face. “In the last patient satisfaction survey, 79 per cent of our patients surveyed were satisfied with the appointment they were offered, which is above the national and regional average.”

A number of people spoke out in praise of the practice after it posted the statement on its Facebook page. One said the practice had saved her life and described staff as ‘utterly kind and professional.’

Another told the surgery: “You do just great.” And another added: “You are all fabulous and do a fantastic job.” And another: “You are all amazing, thank you.”