18/11/2025
To all our wonderful patients!
This message may come as a surprise to many of you and I want to share openly and honestly with all of you. As some of you know, I have been struggling with major health issues over the last few years that, despite best management, has not improved, but continued to get worse.
After a long period of reflection and medical advice, I have made the difficult decision to step back from clinical practice due to ongoing health challenges. Although I explored several possible ways to keep the practice open through the end of the year, it has become clear that it is no longer sustainable for me to continue. My priority now must be to focus on my health and recovery.
Serving you and this community has been an incredible privilege and one of the greatest joys of my career. I have been blessed to walk alongside so many of you in your health journeys, and I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me. I also want to thank Dr Briggs and Dr Thomas for helping me this year to be able to continue to provide quality healthcare for my patients. I pray that God is with you both in everything to come and in your journey to specialising.
This has been an incredibly difficult decision, and it comes only after realising that I have reached the limit of what I can physically manage. I want to reassure you that this decision is not sudden or taken lightly, and it is rooted in doing what is responsible, safe, and ethical for both myself and my patients.
**What this means for you**
1. Final consultation date:
My last day of seeing patients will be 25 November 2025. After this dateand Dr Briggs and Dr Thomas will still be seeing patients at the practice until the 28th of November 2025. We will not be seeing any patients from 01 December 2025.
2. Continuity of care / referrals
Your ongoing healthcare remains deeply important to me and we will help with appropriate referrals to other GP’s in town or access to your files if you wish to do so yourself. We are also able to help with final repeat chronic scripts through December if you have had an appointment with us within the last 6 months.
Please contact us before 31 December 2025 if you need help arranging ongoing care or requesting your file. Please allow 7 working days for us to process your files and respond appropriately.
3. Access to medical records
Your medical records will be securely stored for the legally required retention period of 6 years.
If you would like your records, or would like them sent to a new doctor, please contact us before 31 December 2025. After the practice closes, record access will still be available through the reception@hoedspruitmedical.co.za email, although this will not be as frequently monitored.
4. Billing and accounts
Kindly settle any outstanding accounts by 15 December 2025.
For account queries, you may contact reception@hoedspruitmedical.co.za
5. Urgent Care requirements
From 01 December 2025, we will no longer be able to provide clinical services. For urgent concerns, please make use of your nearest emergency department or medical facility.
** Lastly** Thank you to all of my wonderful patients, who I have gotten to know, build relationships, navigated difficult health situations, seeing your kids grow up, praying with you through difficult times and seeing you work so hard towards better health for you and your families.
Although this chapter is closing, please know that this decision was made carefully, prayerfully, and with a sincere desire to do what is right for my health and for the quality of care I believe patients deserve.
If you have any questions, need guidance about your next steps, or require assistance with records or referrals, please reach out to reception@hoedspruitmedical.co.za. We will be available to support this transition until 31 December 2025.
With heartfelt gratitude and warm regards,
Dr Amber Polley
