By the end of the sixties the doctors realised they would have to look for bigger premises. Crawley Down was growing. New houses were built in Bricklands, Woodland Drive and Kiln Road after the brick works closed in the fifties, plus developments at Grange Road and Squires Close in the sixties.

The beginning of the 1970s saw great changes in Crawley Down and surrounding area. Gatwick and Crawley were expanding and demand for houses was rising. The railway was closed in 1967 during Beeching‘s cuts. The fields around Tiltwood House were sold to a developer, T&E Homes, who promised a new school and doctor‘s surgery in their package. There was also a lot of derelict land left over from the brickworks and the railway. So you could say the doctors‘ prayers were answered. Provision was made for a purpose-built surgery at the top of Bowers Place, which in those days was an unmade-up road, managed by East Sussex Executive Council. It was made one way once the surgery was built.

The population of Crawley Down almost doubled overnight as the new estate reached completion around 1982. The new surgery could now accommodate a large dispensary run by Sylvia Billings and a team of three full time doctors, Dr Orcutt, Dr Palmer and Dr Clemens. When Dr Croucher came in 1982 Dr Orcutt and Dr Clemens were full time and she and Dr Palmer were part time; the surgery was by now looking after 7000 patients. The Health Visitor, Val Fentiman, had her own office, as did the midwife and district nurses. There were no practice nurses. Peggy now weighed the babies in the Health Centre, assisted by Sally Coole and later Shirley Donaldson. Ante-natal classes were held there too, and friendships carved that still survive over 40 years later. Most Crawley Down Mums had their babies at Cuckfield Hospital. Appointments and prescriptions were written down in a book. Nanette Allen was on reception with Ann Jones and Mary Coomber and Marguerite was Practice Manager. Then came the advent of computers, Nanette remembers they were something you learnt as you went along. The day of the big storm in 1987 provided a big challenge with no electricity or water but the surgery opened up regardless.