A cancer patient was shocked to discover his GP had ditched him after 38 years – because he moved 300 yards down the road.
Dan Lane, 38, says he was “kicked into the gutter” when he was taken off his GP’s list of patients without warning.
The technical advisor, who suffers from a rare genetic condition, was told by his practice that his new address was no longer within their boundaries.
He moved house 300 yards from Canada Way to Oakville Close, both in Lower Wick, Worcester, four months ago.
Both addresses are less than two miles from Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice where Dan has been a patient his whole life.
Dan says being kicked off the GP list has caused him “anxiety and stress” and he feels especially vulnerable due to his condition.
Dan said: "I can walk from my old house to my new house in about three minutes. I live on the same estate.
"I'm disgusted. I have been put on the shelf because other people are coming in front
of me and I don't understand how.
“I have been at the same practice for 38 years, my whole life.
"I feel like I have been kicked into the gutter.
“The doctors at the practice have known me my whole life and as a cancer patient I think that is incredibly important.
“I am in recovery but I’m not out of the woods and GPs are often the people who are the first to pick up on red flags.
“Any new practice will not have that background or knowledge.”
Dan suffers from Lynch syndrome, a rare genetic condition meaning he is more likely to develop bowel cancer.
He says his GP was one of only a few who had expert knowledge of the condition and ordered tests as soon as he noticed Dan showing symptoms.
As a result, Dan was quickly diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2020 and had an operation to remove the tumour before it spread.
He said: “The GPs were seeing people face-to-face during lockdown and as soon as I showed symptoms of bowel cancer the doctor ordered tests.
“He knew about my Lynch syndrome and that it meant I had a much higher chance of developing bowel cancer. His knowledge saved my life.”
Dan discovered he was no longer a patient at the practice when he received a letter last Friday (8/3).
The practice manager wrote: "I understand that you have recently moved house.
“We are sorry however the practice has had a boundary change and therefore we are unable to maintain your registration at the practice.
"The boundary change is due to the increase in households within the city area which
Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice is one of only a number of practices able to accept registrations for.
"As a result we have seen our practice list size grow rapidly over the past two years, and indeed it has increased by a further 4 per cent since January this year."
A message on their website reads: "We have recently had a change to our practice boundary to exclude patients from across the river. This mostly affects patients with the W2 area of the City."
A spokesperson for Spring Gardens said: “Obviously we do fully understand Mr Lane’s concern and appreciate his desire to remain with Spring Gardens Medical Practice."
They said city practices regularly review catchment boundaries to manage access to services.
The spokesperson added: "This does sometimes mean some patients find themselves unable to remain with us when they move, which we do understand is disappointing, particularly for patients who have been with us for a long time."
