Cancer patient, 38, 'kicked into the gutter' after GP ditches him after 38 years

15 March 2024 , 01:27

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Dan Lane has spoken of his frustration (Image: No credit)

A man who has been battling cancer was left fuming when his doctor's office said he couldn't come anymore after he moved a few hundred yards down the road.

Dan Lane, 38, felt like he was thrown away when his GP took him off their list without telling him first. Dan, who needs special care for a rare health problem, found out that his new home wasn't in the area his doctor's office covers.

He had moved from Canada Way to Oakville Close in Lower Wick, Worcester, which is only a short walk and both places are close to where he always went to the doctor. Dan has been going to Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice all his life, and it's not far from both his old and new homes.

Dan has Lynch syndrome, a rare condition that makes him more likely to get bowel cancer (No credit)

Dan says he is in recovery (No credit)

Now, Dan is worried and stressed because he's not on the GP list. He 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."

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Dan has Lynch syndrome, a rare condition that makes him more likely to get bowel cancer. His GP knew a lot about it and got Dan tested fast when he started showing signs of the illness. Because of this, Dan found out he had bowel cancer in 2020 and had surgery to take out the tumour before it could spread.

Dan has been going to Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice all his life (No credit)

He explained: "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 found out he couldn't go to his usual doctor anymore when he got a letter last Friday. A message on their website says: "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 explained: "Obviously we do fully understand Mr Lane's concern and appreciate his desire to remain with Spring Gardens Medical Practice." They mentioned that city doctors often check where their patients live to make sure everyone can get to their services.

The spokesperson also said: "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."

Adam Dutton and James Connell