A GRIEVING dad who raised concerns over his late son’s medical care has been banned from a doctors’ surgery.

Malcolm Buckley, 62, Basildon councillor for regeneration, received a letter, yesterday, from NHS Essex Contractor Services giving him a week to find another GP after the Robert Frew Surgery, Wickford, removed him from its register with no explanation.

The letter came after the Echo published Mr Buckley’s concerns of how three GPs at the surgery diagnosed his son Chris, 34, with depression when he had an advanced brain tumour.

The letter said: “Robert Frew Medical Centre has asked contractor services to remove your name from its list of NHS patients.

“If you are not accepted by another doctor then your name will be removed from your present doctor’s list on July 16 when his responsibility for your treatment will cease.”

Mr Buckley said: “I’m convinced this is the direct result of me raising concerns about my son’s care inthe Echo and the doctors clearly donot like any criticism.

“People should be aware that if they complain about their GP, they could be struck off.

“I have been at the surgery 62 years with no previous issues and could now struggle to find another practice.”

According to guidelines on patient removal produced by the General Practioners Committee of the British Medical Association, it “neither supports nor condones the removal of patients solely because they have made a complaint.”

The guidelines add a warning should first be given and a written explanation if someone is banned.

Mr Buckley, who also lost his wife Sylvia in March, said he received neither, but before publication of the article got what he considered a “veiled threat”.

On June 26, the same day the Echo approached doctors at the surgery to comment on Chris’s care, Mr Buckley was e-mailed by Colleen Shelley, practice manager.

She suggested he meet with the GPs “rather than going to the press which we believe will not address any concerns of yours and might impair your relationship with the practice”.

The Echo published the story on July 2, revealing Chris first went to the surgery on December 29, 2011 after finding it difficult to speak or remember words.

He returned twice more, but despite having been seen by three different doctors, he was only diagnosed with the tumour after an A&E visit to Basildon Hospital on February 1, 2012.

On behalf of the surgery, Taylor Wood Solicitors said: “The practice has removed Mr Buckley from its list because the doctor-patient relationship, based on trust and mutual respect, has broken down irretrievably.

“The partners respected Mr Buckley’s right to complain – indeed we have continued to offer GP medical services throughout the complaints procedure.

“Mr Buckley has articulated in no uncertain terms that he has no confidence in three doctors in the partnership.

“The partners are on call in rotation and there may well be a situation when the only doctors available will be one or more of the three concerned.

“Under these circumstances the practice believes it is in Mr Buckley’s best interest and that of the partnership that he register with another practice.”