A Dundee GP who was effectively sacked by NHS Tayside has accused the health board of failing 1700 patients by shutting down his surgery.
Dr Dennis Charles Miller was told this week that Ardler Surgery on Turnberry Avenue is to close at 6pm next Monday, leaving his patients without a GP.
NHS Tayside took the unprecedented step to terminate the contract for GP services at the surgery after the General Medical Council launched a new investigation into the practices of Dr Miller, who has been severely criticised by the regulatory body several times.
A spokeswoman for the health board said Dr Miller would not be re-employed elsewhere in Tayside.
NHS Tayside has set up a temporary GP practice in the Wallacetown Health Centre for Ardler patients until they can register with a new doctor.
A statement issued by the health board said, “This significant decision to terminate has been taken because the single-handed GP practice has not met all the conditions and delivered the level of service which it was required to provide under the General Medical Services contract.
“The main priority now for NHS Tayside now is to ensure the 1700 patients who are registered at Ardler Surgery have continued access to a GP.”
Dr Miller hails from the north of England but studied medicine at Dundee University and qualified as a doctor in 1983.
He has worked at the Ardler practice since it opened in 1990 but has run foul of the General Medical Council on several occasions.
Dr Miller said his professional record was something for him to “work through” with the GMC, but the surgery should have been spared for the sake of its patients.OfferHe claimed he offered to stand down as a GP, to let that happen. He said, “The reason they are closing the practice is that locums were not turning up, but closing the surgery is not in the interests of the patients.
“I had spoken with them (NHS Tayside) and said I was willing to step down and let them take on locums in the practice. Patients really don’t want to go to Wallacetown they moved here from there 20 years ago.
“They are not looking out for the interests of the patients. I said they could use the building, but they said no.”
Dr Miller’s professional performance was first queried in 2002 by NHS Tayside and a preliminary investigation by the GMC found his performance to be “seriously deficient” in some areas.
However, no action was taken as he was given a mentor. Further investigations into his performance took place in 2003 and 2004.
In 2006, it emerged he had a second career as a house builder, which including constructing the extension to Ardler surgery.
The GMC’s fitness to practice panel exonerated Dr Miller and allowed him to continue practising.
He was given a warning in 2009 after he prescribing the heroin substitute methadone without a risk assessment or proper treatment plan.
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Last week the GMC launched an investigation into his conduct and imposed several conditions on him to continue practising.
They included restrictions on prescribing some drugs and preventing him from signing repeat prescriptions.BannedHe is also not allowed to work as a GP without another doctor in the building or anywhere else other than the Ardler surgery.
Dr Miller said, “There has never been a complaint from patients regarding the quality of care here. NHS Tayside could have given the patients more than one week’s notice. I was only phoned on Monday so this has obviously been planned for a while.
“You would have to ask the health board what they have been up to, but they have certainly been conniving away.”
Dr Michelle Watts, NHS Tayside’s associate medical director for primary care, said, “This is a very unfortunate but unavoidable situation. However, patients should be assured that we are doing everything we can to minimise any disruption to patients and their care.
“If you are a patient of the surgery you will now have to register with another GP practice and this should be a very straightforward procedure.
“However, to give people time to register with another GP, we have already set up a temporary GP practice only for Ardler patients at Wallacetown Health Centre.
“The surgery at Wallacetown is now open and will stay open for a period of up to eight weeks.”
Following yesterday’s news, one patient contacted The Courier.
Suggesting the closure was unjust, James Miller (72), said, “Some of the reports are making Dr Miller look bad and that’s not the case.
“I’ve been with him for 10 years and the treatment he has given me has always been first-class.”
NHS Tayside has set up a freephone helpline, for patients of the surgery, on 0800 232 1657.