A 'DISGUSTED' ex-cancer patient feels he has been 'kicked into the gutter' after being told to leave the GP practice which saved his life because he moved 'just 300 yards' from his old house.

Dan Lane has been with Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice in Worcester for all 38 years of his life and credits them with saving his life after he developed bowel cancer.

The former plumber was shocked when he received a phone call telling him he had to find another GP practice because of a 'boundary change'.

Worcester News: LETTER: The letter Dan Lane received from Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice LETTER: The letter Dan Lane received from Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice (Image: Supplied by patient)

He moved '300 yards' from Canada Way to Oakville Close, both in Lower Wick, about four months ago.

Mr Lane said it has caused him 'anxiety and stress' and, as a cancer patient, he now feels 'vulnerable'.

Worcester News: SURVIVOR: Daniel Lane of Lower Wick has survived cancer but now has to leave Spring Gardens, the GP practice he says saved his life after they identified the symptoms of bowel cancer SURVIVOR: Daniel Lane of Lower Wick has survived cancer but now has to leave Spring Gardens, the GP practice he says saved his life after they identified the symptoms of bowel cancer (Image: Supplied by Dan Lane)

He was told he could no longer be a patient because of an increase in patients.

Mr Lane said: "I can walk from my old house to my new house in about three minutes.

"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."

Mr Lane has not yet registered with another GP.

A message on their website reads: "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."

In a letter, sent to Mr Lane on March 8, the practice manager wrote: "I understand that you have recently moved house. We are sorry however the practice has had a boundary change and therefore we are unable to maintain your registration at the practice.

"The boundary change is due to the increase in households within the city area which Spring Gardens Group Medical Practice is one of only a number of practices able to accept registrations for.

"As a result we have seen our practice list size grow rapidly over the past two years, and indeed it has increased by a further 4% since January this year."

A spokesperson for Spring Gardens said: “Obviously we do fully understand Mr Lane’s concern and appreciate his desire to remain with Spring Gardens Medical Practice."

They said city practices regularly review catchment boundaries to manage access to services.

"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."

They added catchments are extremely important as they define the boundaries GPs and other team members can provide home visits and other services.

It strongly recommends patients register with a practice in the catchment where they live.