He's been a patient at the same surgery for nearly half a century.
But after 49 years at the Grange Group Practice pensioner Alexander Copeland has been told to find another surgery.
Mr Copeland, 74, has been attending the Spaines Road surgery and its predecessor since he moved to Huddersfield from Wigtownshire, Scotland, in 1966.
The retired ICI worker moved to Oakes 45 years ago but was allowed to remain a patient at the surgery.
But now Mr Copeland has received a letter from the surgery saying he could no longer use the clinic as he was outside its ‘practice area’.
The widowed grandfather said: “It’s quite a common policy but to turn round after 45 years, it’s not right.
“I’ve got 30 days to find a new practice.
“I would like to stay – they’ve been my doctors for a long time.
“If I can’t get a new surgery in 30 days time then I’m without.
“The service there is very good; I could see any of the doctors and it didn’t look like they were overloaded.”
“If I can’t get another practice to take me it will be accident and emergency.”
And it appears that Mr Copeland isn’t the only long-standing patient of the Fartown practice to be given the boot.
An anonymous patient posted dismay on an NHS Choices website listing Grange Group.
The post, headlined ‘inconsiderate’, reads: “We have just received a letter asking us to find another practice.
“We have been with the practice over 40 years and have got used to the GPs there.
“We live 1.8 miles away and have an HD postcode. To find an alternative GP would mean going even further.
“We are very annoyed and intend taking the matter further. If this is the way that they treat their patients then they should not even be in practice.”
The Examiner contacted Grange Group Practice. The surgery declined to comment.
