Residents in Dorking are set to benefit from the return of a vital audiology service to their local hospital, following months of inconvenience. The audiology service, previously offered at Dorking Community Hospital, was relocated to Kingston Hospital earlier this year due to an IT issue at the Kingston & Richmond NHS Foundation Trust. This change forced patients to travel nearly 17 miles to receive care that was once readily available in their community.
In a positive development, NHS Surrey Heartlands announced that the audiology service will resume at Dorking Community Hospital on November 17, 2023. The new arrangement aims to ensure that local residents have access to essential healthcare closer to home.
Jack Wagstaff, Executive Director for Strategic Commissioning at the Integrated Care Board (ICB), expressed relief at the return of the service. “Ever since the service had to relocate to Kingston, we have been working proactively with Kingston & Richmond NHS Foundation Trust and other local partners to find an alternative provider to deliver this important service locally,” he stated.
All patients registered with the audiology service have been informed about the changes. Wagstaff acknowledged the challenges that patients faced while traveling to Kingston and thanked them for their understanding during this period.
Local residents welcomed the news, including Jim and Maureen Fig, who shared their relief. “It is good to know that we don’t have to go to Kingston to get our hearing problems dealt with. The hearing service at Dorking has been very good in the past and is easily accessible by bus,” they commented.
The reinstatement of the service has also garnered support from Chris Coghlan, the Member of Parliament for Dorking and Horley. He has actively campaigned for the service’s return and expressed his satisfaction with the ICB’s announcement. “I’m pleased to hear that Dorking Audiology services will be back at Dorking Community Hospital this coming Monday,” he said. Coghlan noted that Dorking Healthcare and First Community Health and Care will manage the service, with patient records being transferred back to the local facility.
Coghlan has been vocal about the impact of the service’s temporary closure, which affected hundreds of his constituents. He initiated a petition and engaged local media to exert pressure on the ICB for the restoration of this crucial service. He further mentioned that there would be no changes to other local audiology services and that discussions are ongoing with Specsavers to potentially expand additional services, such as self-referral, at their Dorking location.
This return of the audiology service is expected to ease access for many in the community and alleviate travel burdens that have persisted over recent months. Dorking residents can now look forward to receiving necessary care without the lengthy journey to Kingston Hospital.
