Ouse Valley Practice

17/04/2026

Sadly, we continue to experience intermittent IT and Phone line issues at the practice. This is a wider NHS Sussex Issue and we are working with local IT teams to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience this week as we are aware this has been ongoing for the last 48 hours.

15/04/2026

This is a snapshot of what has been going on in our practice over the month of March.

Thank you to our patients who have reduced the number of missed appointments this month.

We have recieved 344 more online requests in March compared to January, as well as an additional 1,296 calls to the practice compared to February.

Thank you to the practice team for the support they offer our patients.

10/04/2026

**Covid 19 Vaccinations - Spring Booster 2026 Update **

We are very pleased to share that; we will be offering COVID-19 Spring Booster vaccinations to patients registered with Ouse Valley Practice.

We are currently finalising clinic arrangements and will contact eligible patients directly once these are confirmed, with a direct booking link to appointments at the surgery.

You can get a COVID-19 vaccine this spring if you:

• Are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 30 June 2026)
• Are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment (please note we are only administering vaccines for over 18's at Ouse Valley Practice)
• Live in a care home for older adults

Health conditions and treatments that mean you're eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. You may be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment.

This can include if you:

•Have or had blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma
•Have had an organ transplant, bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant
•Have HIV
•Have a genetic disorder that affects your immune system, such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
•Are having or recently had chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiotherapy
•Are taking steroid medicine (depending on the dose)
•Are having long-term immunosuppressive treatment for a condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), scleroderma or psoriasis

**This list is a summary and does not include everything. Speak to the Practice or Hospital specialist if you're not sure if you're eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine**

30/03/2026

Dear Patients - please see notification below

In response to the continued high levels of Norovirus across our hospital, sustained demand in our Emergency Department, and the challenges we are facing moving patients around the site in line with necessary infection control measures, the Trust has declared a Critical Incident.

Please only use our Emergency Department (ED) for serious or life-threatening emergencies. For all other urgent health needs, consider these alternatives:
- Your GP
- NHS 111 - online or by phone, available 24/7
- Your local pharmacy – expert advice for several ailments through Pharmacy First https://bit.ly/4duHKcu
- Urgent Treatment Centre at Crawley Hospital
- Minor Injuries Units at Caterham Dene, Horsham Hospital and Queen Victoria Hospital
Choosing the right service helps us keep ED free for those who need it most. Thank you for helping us help you.

Find out more - https://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/latest-news/trust-declares-critical-incident-due-norovirus-outbreak

24/03/2026

Dear Patients

We have 6 NHS Health Check Appointments avaiable this afternoon

If you are eligible please contact our reception team and they will book you an appointment today!

Eligibility:
An NHS Health Check is a free 20 check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74 who do not have pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease.

You must not have already been diagnosed with pre-existing conditions, including:
- Heart disease or heart failure
- Stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA/mini-stroke)
- Diabetes
-Chronic kidney disease
-High blood pressure (hypertension)
-High cholesterol
-Atrial fibrillation

If you are unsure on eligibility you can contact reception and they will advise you.

These appointments will be on a first come first served basis - but dont worry, we offer these appointments weekly and will be able to book you an appointment with the nursing team

Thank you

19/03/2026

A national helpline, run by the UK Health Security Agency, is now available for meningitis-related advice and enquiries.

📞 0344 225 3861

The helpline is for patients with no symptoms who are concerned about possible contact with a confirmed case, have general queries about meningitis, require advice on close contact risk, or have queries about contact tracing or prophylaxis.

For further information and regular updates, please visit the Kent and Medway meningitis outbreak information hub:

👉

Updates and information on the meningitis outbreak in the Canterbury area.

02/03/2026

Dear Patients,

We currently have sickness amongst members of our nursing team, this has created a small backlog in appointments for Long Term Condition Reviews, Blood Tests, Cervical Screening, NHS Health Checks and other Routine Appointments.

If you have a nurses appointment, please make every effort to attend this appointment - if you are unable to attend please contact reception so we can offer this to others patients.

We had approx 3hours of nursing appointments not attend appointments last week.

Many Thanks

23/02/2026

JoCo. Balcombe Collection Point Update:

**Temporary Volunteer Delivery Service**

Following our notification last week regarding the JoCo closure, we have been in discussion with two volunteers who currently support the community in other capacities.

They have kindly agreed to provide a temporary medication delivery service for patients who usually use the JoCo collection point over the next two weeks, who are unable to collect medication from Handcross.

Deliveries will take place on either a Thursday or Friday.

If you are unable to collect your medication from Handcross during the closure, please contact the practice on 01444 405750 to request delivery.

You will then receive a text message asking you to confirm your consent for your medication to be released to our volunteers.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Ali and Paul for the support they are offering to both the practice and our patients during this period.

18/02/2026

We have been advised that JoCo. Balcombe will be closed from 23rd February 2026 and will reopen on 11th March 2026.

This means the last medication collection prior to the closure will be on Friday 20th February 2026

All medication will be returned to Handcross Dispensary for collection after 3pm on Friday 20th February 2026

We would like to apologies for this short notice change to our medication collection point arrangements, these will resume on 11th March 2026.

17/02/2026

If you are unsure on your child’s vaccination history - please contact the practice and our team will be able to support you.

We are seeing a rise in measles cases in parts of England.

Vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from serious illness.

We’re encouraging parents to check their children are up to date with their vaccinations. Check your child's red book or speak to their GP practice.

More information: http://nhs.uk/mmr

05/02/2026

22/01/2026

Dear Patients

A large number of our clinical, non-clinical and dispensary staff are stuck in heavy traffic around Crawley and Horsham due to severe flooding and road closures 🚧

Our team will work hard to support you as quickly as we can. Some earlier appointments may be delayed.

Thank you