Patient letter 

 
Dear Patient, 

Important update: Closure of Upper Beeding branch surgery, 14 Dawn Close, Upper Beeding, Steyning BN44 3WG 

As you will be aware, our Upper Beeding branch surgery site has been closed temporarily since October 2024. This is because an independent health and safety inspection identified a number of structural and internal issues with the building, including electrical safety and plumbing / water supply problems.  

Throughout the temporary closure, we have ensured that our patients have had access to the care they need from our main surgery site, Steyning Health Centre, in Tanyard Lane, Steyning. We thank all of our patients for their understanding during this time, and for continuing to engage with and support our hard-working practice team. 

During this time, we took the opportunity to review the services we provide from both surgery sites. In doing this review, it was clear that we are not able to provide the breadth of services we would want to our patients at The Upper Beeding branch surgery site. This is because the building is no longer fit for purpose and would require a complete refurbishment to bring it up to the standards of a modern, accessible practice.  

As a result, we recognised that the only way forward was to permanently close the Upper Beeding branch surgery site and to focus our services from our main site, Steyning Health Centre. 

We are writing to you today to share that our proposal was approved by NHS Sussex’s Primary Care Commissioning Group at their meeting on 27 May, and all our services will be provided at our main site, Steyning Health Centre with immediate effect.

We understand that this decision may cause you some concern, and we want to reassure you that it has been made with careful consideration, and in the interest of maintaining clinical safety and high-quality care for all our patients.  

Steyning Health Centre is a well-equipped, modern facility. Having provided all our services at one location for some months now, we know that this has been working well, for patients and staff. We are confident this means patients will have continued access to our services and staff, and it will allow us to provide safer and more equitable care to our patients. 

Over the past few months, we have engaged extensively with the local community about the proposal to permanently close the Upper Beeding branch surgery site. This included our patients, the practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG), parish councillors and HealthWatch West Sussex. Actions during this time included a public meeting and a survey, which was produced in collaboration with HealthWatch West Sussex and independently analysed by them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on this matter, every piece of feedback was read and carefully considered. 

We understand that there are some concerns from people in and around the Upper Beeding area about access and travel to Steyning Health Centre, appointment availability, and prescription collection services.  

To address the concerns raised, we are committed to carrying out several actions. These include: 

  • Making sure patients are aware of the Pharmacy First service, and also the various free prescription delivery services that are available. Upper Beeding Pharmacy is 0.2 miles or a 4 minute walk, from the Upper Beeding branch surgery site. 

  • Conducting further analysis to ensure that our housebound and vulnerable patients are supported by the practice to receive the care they need and to raise awareness and signpost to local organisations such as the Steyning District Good Neighbour Scheme. 

  • Targeting outreach to our patients with disabilities / long-term conditions to understand their needs and if they have any difficulties in accessing our services. 

We are confident that this move will enable all of our patients to access the wider range of services that we have available as a GP practice, and continue to access further services, support and care from our team as we continue to develop. 

Thanks once again to all of our patients for their continued support. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience. If you have any questions or require further support, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Yours sincerely, 

 
Steyning Medical Practice team 

Published: Sep 30, 2025