Patients at Dover Medical Practice say there should be more help available to re-register them with another surgery.

This comes after Concordia pulled out of the practice and it announced it would close.

Martina White, 66, of Charlton Green, Dover, says she was told a helpline provided by NHS England would assist her in finding another doctor.

She said: “I rung it up and said ‘what can you do for me?’ and it turns out not a lot.

'They can’t register me with another surgery, they can only tell you what surgeries are available.' - Patient, Martina White

"They can’t register me with another surgery, they can only tell you what surgeries are available.

“I understand now we’re unlikely to save Dover Medical Practice as it was, but we now need to make sure that all of the patients from that practice who need help can get registered without any hassle. It should be up to them [NHS England] to make the most of the effort to get patients re-registered.”

Ms White, a retired project manager, is concerned about those that may struggle to research and find a doctor themselves, such as those in care homes or who speak little English. She also explained that the drop-in session held at Dover Health Centre on Tuesday, November 11, only saw Pencester Health practice attend and no information was given on other surgeries.

Ms White claims that patients are not being listened to – 98% of 400 people said they did not want to be dispersed to other surgeries, but Ms White claims that is exactly what has happened.

Susan Fox, another patient, said she believed Peter Street Surgery will not be using interpreters because it does not have access codes to The Big Word site. However, NHS England assured the Mercury that all practices in Dover have access to the site and the translator services.

MP Charlie Elphicke raised the issue in Parliament last week. He said: “I am deeply concerned as patients must come first and I have done all I can to support the patients. Yet it is important for our local doctors to take responsibility and show leadership too. It would be right for the Pencester practice to be clearer to the patients that they are willing to take them all, will care for them and put them first.

“I completely understand the worry it causes for people and I’m doing everything I can.”