Fears have been raised that the closure of a medical practice in the north-east will result in people less able to leave their homes missing vital appointments.
NHS Grampian confirmed last night that it intended to shut its medical practice in New Deer and move the service to an existing facility in Maud – nearly three miles away.
It has led to concerns that members of the public reliant on public transport and goodwill to leave the tiny village will no longer be able to get access to a doctor.
A spokeswoman for the NHS, which contracts out the surgery to the Central Buchan Medical Practice, said the move would ultimately create a better quality of care for patients in the region.
She said ageing building in the rural village was no longer fit to serve some members of the community because it lacked disabled access.
But local councillor Jim Ingram warned those same people could in fact end up being the worst affected.
Last night, he said some people in New Deer already struggled to get access to public transport and the move would put added pressure on links between the villages.
“My concern has always been the distance people will have to travel for doctors appointments,” he added.
“For those who rely on public transport, it is rather pathetic.
“People and doctors can be running late, and appointments can be missed. It’s different for those people who have cars, for them two-and-a-half miles isn’t a lot these days.”
Fellow councillor Norman Smith also raised concerns about the transport options available for locals.
“With the latest changes to the bus service we need to have alternative provision in place, and information on this relayed to the public in New Deer,” he added.
A spokeswoman for the NHS said: “The practice’s building in New Deer is in a poor condition with little or no parking and there are challenges in accessing the building for patients with a disability.
“Central Buchan Medical Practice sees the move as an ideal opportunity to enhance its health services in a new purpose built building which already accommodates other health and social care services.
“There is parking and the whole building is accessible for patients with a disability. There is space to accommodate all the staff from the New Deer branch surgery.”
An information event is scheduled to take place in the New Deer Village Hall on March 28, when the public will be officially told of the surgery’s closure.
The event starts at 7.30pm.
Although not a consultation, members of the community will be given the opportunity to question the decision.