A medical group which serves almost 10,000 people in Moffat and Lockerbie has decided to withdraw its GP services.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway announced this week Alba Medical Group, which only started running the sites in April, is leaving when its contract expires on May 31 next year.
The practices were managed by the local health board for four years before Alba took over and work has started to find new providers.
Dr Grecy Bell, deputy medical director for NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said: “Alba Medical Group have stated clearly, with regret, they feel they have no option but to take this decision.
“Alba are within their rights to relinquish the contract for these practices, but it means just eight months after the process to award the contract, the work now begins to attract an alternate provider.
“Work has begun to invite expressions of interest from GP providers who would wish to assume responsibility for GP services out of Moffat and Lockerbie.”
Politicians have expressed concern at the situation.
Annandale North councillor Carolyne Wilson, said: “Yet again patients in Lockerbie and Moffat are being left in limbo.
“NHS Dumfries and Galloway must commit to keeping local residents informed of the interim and long-term measures they put in place.
“I will be working with the community and the NHS to support local people at this uncertain time.”
South of Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “Even before the group took over the practice, it was plagued with problems.
“But if anything it’s got worse and I certainly received a lot of complaints especially over patients being unable to get a GP appointment.
“The decision to withdraw from the service will leave patients uncertain and given the challenges of GP recruitment, I am fearful for the very future of the practice”.
Tory MP David Mundell said: “This is the right decision, given that the arrangement with Alba Medical Group has plainly not been
working.
“In fact, many local people living in and around Moffat and Lockerbie have been saying for months that it has worked to the detriment of the area.”
MSP Oliver Mundell added: “This is the only practical choice given the failure to stabilise these two practices in recent months.
“The feedback from patients has been worrying and it is clear the arrangement was not working and that practices run by remote partners are
suboptimal.”
