Medical practice set to close doors

THOUSANDS of patients have been left in limbo after a Dundee medical practice announced that it is to close next year.

The Tele can reveal that Stobswell Medical Practice — which has 2,500 patients — will shut in early 2018. Staff at the Albert Street practice confirmed today that NHS Tayside has taken the decision to close it down after the sole GP there decided to terminate his contract.

Practice manager Lorraine Mackay said everyone at the facility, which has operated at different premises in the city for about 50 years, was devastated.

She said: “I can confirm that we are closing down permanently on March 16 next year. This is terrible news for us and we are very upset for our 2,500 patients.”

Ms Mackay said Dr Peter Fox had been the practice’s sole GP for the past two-and-a-half years. She said that it had become unfeasible for him to continue alone. She added: “We have been trying to recruit another GP during all that time, but without success. “Now, Dr Fox has decided to hand back his contract to the health board.

“As a result, it has decided to close us down.”

Ms Mackay said patients would be receiving letters informing them of the decision. She added: “It’s now up to NHS Tayside to try to find other GP practices that will be able to take our patients.

“We are very upset at the situation but our priority now is to work towards getting patient records passed to other surgeries if NHS Tayside can find other places for our patients to go.

David Russell, 73, a patient at the practice, said he was shocked by the news.

He added: “So far, patients have not been told very much about what is happening but we have a right to know.”

Georgia Cruickshank, Labour councillor for the area, said: “I’d like to know what’s going to happen to these 2,500 patients.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: “As the practice population is spread quite widely over the city of Dundee, NHS Tayside and Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) are currently exploring a number of options to sustain access to GP services and all patients currently registered with Stobswell Medical Practice will be contacted in due course to discuss their options.” Ourvoice PAGE 16

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The practice.