A pensioner who has been a patient at the same surgery for almost 70 years has been ordered to find another practice.

Peter Hesselden, 85, is one of the latest long-standing patients of Grange Group Practice to be given his marching orders.

The great-grandfather, originally of Sheepridge, had been allowed to use the Fartown practice after moving to Dalton 26 years ago.

But now Mr Hesselden, who has Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, has been given 30 days to find another practice because he is outside surgery’s ‘practice area’.

Mr Hesselden’s daughter, Jennifer Dawson, said Grange Group Practice had been advising her father to find another surgery for the last 12 months before issuing an ultimatum.

Ms Dawson, of Dalton, said: “He’s got Parkinson’s and very limited mobility, diabetes and high blood pressure and he’s got to take a lot of tablets.

“I just think it’s wrong when he’s been there for most of life to treat him like this.

“I wonder about all the patients they’re kicking out and what age they are.

“He’s not happy but it’s at a point where he can’t do anything about it.”

Letter to patient from The Grange Group Practice at Fartown.

Ms Dawson has found her father, a retired David Brown worker, a place at The Junction Surgery, Moldgreen.

But she said: “My dad has been there that long and he has complex needs. Whether the surgery has to meet NHS criteria doesn’t matter to my dad.”

The Examiner contacted Grange Group Practice about Mr Hesselden.

The Spaines Road surgery declined to comment.

Earlier this month, the Examiner reported that Oakes pensioner Alexander Copeland had been asked to leave Grange Group Practice after 49 years at the surgery and its predecessor.

Mr Copeland, 74, is still looking for another practice.

He said: “I’m hoping to sort something out in the next 10 days but the fact remains, I was outside their catchment area for 45 years, then suddenly it was a problem.

“The doctors there are amazing and I liked them. I bet there are a lot of people in this situation. It’s wrong they’re doing this sort of thing.”