Where to get healthcare in and around Oxted…
With the overwhelmed NHS as it is today, it can be a truly frustrating and stressful experience trying to get seen by a doctor if you’re not feeling well or have a minor injury or pressing health concern.
Towns like Oxted used to have cottage hospitals, which were a brilliant filter away from the main hospitals A&E and dealt with minor injuries, minor procedures, rapid assessments and pretty much everything that wasn’t specialist or a major emergency, including care of children and elderly patients who needed to be near home.
Up until 2001, we had a great cottage hospital – The Oxted & Limpsfield War Memorial Hospital – off Eastlands Way in Oxted. Sadly, like most of them, due to the unwillingness of the government to invest money into cottage hospitals, and the belief that it was better to close community hospitals and focus funding on District Hospitals (oh for the benefit of hindsight!) Oxted’s cottage hospital fell prey to developers and is now the Lankester Square estate…
So, what is the process of getting seen for non-emergency care and who should you call?
OXTED HEALTH CENTRE, GRESHAM ROAD, OXTED
Part of the Dorking Healthcare Group and home to NHS GPs and community nurses. Downstairs also has an ultrasound facility. The centre also provides a range of specialist services, 01883 734000.
Getting an appointment here can be an extremely frustrating experience, though once you’re in, the doctors and nurses do generally offer a great service.
The most effective way to get an appointment is to turn up in person, and request an appointment face to face. If you can’t do this, call at 8am for an “urgent” same day appointment and be prepared to hold for up to 30 minutes only to find they’ve all been allocated for the day, OR if it’s not urgent, go online and request an appointment (between 7am-9am) and you will be contacted within a day or two. There are also lots of other services that can be accessed online.
CALL 111 OR USE https://111.nhs.uk/triage/check-your-symptoms. If you feel unwell, particularly out of regular medical centre hours, and cannot get a GP appointment, call 111 for a call-based assessment and triage. They will direct you to the appropriate medical centre and/or out of hours care and make an appointment for you, providing all the background information you have given them on the phone.
Out of hours appointments could be at Caterham Dene, Epsom Cottage Hospital, Crawley Urgent Treatment Care, Dorking Community Hospital or Shirley Oaks (Croydon) Hospital.
CATERHAM DENE HOSPITAL – NEAREST URGENT CARE FOR APPOINTMENT AND WALK-INS
Caterham Dene is a brilliant Urgent Care centre if you think you need to be seen urgently but don’t want to go to A&E and are not suffering from serious injury or life-threatening concern. This community hospital is the nearest to Oxted, and deals with pretty much all non-emergency issues and delivers a great service for everything from minor injuries, infections, breathing issues, UTIs and rapid assessment for all concerns.
It’s best to be referred via 111 (as above) who will triage, book and call ahead, but you can also just walk in. It is open 8am to 8pm daily. 01883 837500
QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL – EAST GRINSTEAD
This is another brilliant hospital that as well as having a world-renowned burns centre, has a Minor Injuries department, open 8am-8pm daily. They can assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of minor injuries and ailments for both adults and children over one year old. You do not need an appointment. Please note the last booking is at 7.45pm. 01342 414000
PAYDEN’S PHARMACY: Did you know that you can make appointments for vaccinations, blood pressure checks, travel vaccines, emergency contraception and a lot more besides at Payden’s Pharmacy in Oxted?
You can also ask the pharmacist for advice and over the counter medication for things like skin conditions and minor ailments – coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections and aches and pains. They can also issue medicine and help for Shingles and UTIs. 01883 712081
WELL LIFE CLINIC: This is a new Private GP, offering all sorts of specialist services, as well as general practice. Now open opposite Sainsbury’s on Station Road East, Oxted. Phone: 01883 338336.
www.welllife-clinic.co.uk Make appointments online but be prepared to pay £115 for a GP consultation.
A&E – EAST SURREY HOSPITAL: East Surrey Hospital in Redhill is your nearest A&E and where you should go if it’s a real emergency. This is also where many of your referrals by your GP will end up, for further investigation (ultrasounds, X-Rays, eye clinic, specialist consultants etc).
REMEMBER for urgent health concerns:
EMERGENCY 999 NON-EMERGENCY 111 (they can also escalate you to emergency if required)
by Sophie Martin
