HEALTH Secretary Andy Burnham is being urged by MP George Galloway to step in after a family were booted off their GP’s register in London’s deprived East End. A father-of-three was kicked off the list at the practice where he’s been registered for 25 years, following a dispute his brother had with the doctor

By Gemma Collins

HEALTH Secretary Andy Burnham is being urged by MP George Galloway to step in after a family were booted off their GP’s register in London’s deprived East End.

Father-of-three Mohammed Miah was kicked off the list at Spitalfields Health Practice where he’s been registered for 25 years, following a dispute his brother had with the doctor.

His wife, parents and children including his nine-month-old premature baby who needs a weekly injection were also registered there.

YAWNING GAP

Now Galloway has written to the Health Secretary to intervene.

“There is a yawning gap in provision for patients’ rights in this set-up,” the Bethnal Green & Bow MP says in his letter.

“GP practices effectively have an absolute right over who they have on their patients list.

“A patient has no right of redress to have their removal independently judged, which can leave them without a GP for extended periods.”

ARGUMENT

Mr Miah’s brother Liton Ali had an argument with their GP in October which led to a letter the family received saying they were no longer registered at the practice.

Bosses at NHS Tower Hamlets who have investigated his complaint point out that practices can remove patients with “reasonable grounds.”

A spokesman said: “We did not feel we should override the decision to remove the family because the relationship had broken down to such a level that it was in the patients’ interests to register with a different practice.”

Mr Miah, who has since found another surgery, complained to the Spitalfields practice demanding to know why he has been struck off because of his brother’s argument.