Alston Medical Practice set to operate with only one GP

A doctors' surgery in a remote part of Cumbria will only have one GP from next month because of recruitment problems.

Alston Medical Practice had three GPs three months ago but one has retired and another will leave next month.

The remaining doctor, Claire Corlett, said in nine months there had been no applicants for a GP partner role.

Dr Corlett, who will be working with a locum one day a week, said the surgery needed a minimum of two full-time GPs to manage 2,300 patients.

It comes as the town's residents are fighting plans which they say will downgrade its ambulance service.

Dr Corlett said seeing patients was "the tip of the iceberg".

She said the surgery operated from 08:00 to 18:30 five days a week and "the impact is going to be on me making sure I'm available to work those hours".

Because of the location, any new doctor for the surgery would also have to be on hand for local medical emergencies, she added.

Dr Michael Hanley, who had worked at the surgery for 30 years, retired in September.

Dr Hanley, who is also an Eden District councillor, said when he originally applied for the job he was one of 80 applicants, but now feared the location could be an issue.

He said: "Alston is always out on a limb and the problem is that there are very few surgeries like it in England - it's unique and no-one is taking any notice of us.

"The nearest bigger surgeries in Penrith and Brampton say they won't want to take our practice on and it would be impossible to join forces with the surgery in neighbouring Kirkoswald as it couldn't take on all the patients from Alston."

Nationally the number of doctors has fallen while demand surges.

The Royal College of GPs said that between September 2020 and March 2021, numbers fell by 1,307 to 28,096.

Dr Hanley said: "It's not a question of the surgery closing, but we need another GP to work there, but there's a national shortage of GPs, in West Cumbria they are 50% short."

Dr Corlett, who previously worked at an inner city practice, said moving to Alston was a positive decision and her commute to the surgery was "beautiful", with stunning scenery and rolling hills surrounding the cobbled streets of the market town.

"It's hard because people don't know the area or haven't considered working in a remote rural practice, when I started in Alston I was nervous I wouldn't have the skills or experience with remote rural medicine but it's been a very positive experience," she said.

She fears that the advertised role of GP partner could also be an issue, saying newer generations of doctors are "nervous of entering a partnership because of the responsibilities that come with it".

The town is also facing concerns over its ambulance provision after changes to training requirements for volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) staffing a vehicle based there.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) wants to introduce community first responders who would help patients until a standard ambulance arrived, but residents fear lives could be put at risk.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].