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Our History

The Dorking GP practices have a long history of working together and trying to improve services for Dorking patients. In September 2004, Dr Jonathan Richards and Michael Arnaud presented a proposal to the Dorking GPs. The aim was to improve and expand outpatient services provided in the local community hospital. At that meeting we decided to form a provider organisation to deliver this aim. Dorking Healthcare LLP (DHC) is a partnership of every single partner in the six Dorking practices (covering 40,000 patients).

We had analysed the pattern of outpatients and found that less than 30% of appointments for Dorking patients were held at Dorking Hospital. We audited Dorking Outpatients Department and found it had a 30% occupancy rate.
The local patients told their GPs they wanted:

• to be seen locally
• easy/free parking
• a good consultant
• a short wait
• prompt follow up treatment or investigations

The GPs had the following experience of the Dorking Outpatients Department:

• it was organised chaos
• investigations and clinical work were duplicated
• waits were long
• there was a "can't help" culture
• there were too many follow ups

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.