A thousand Fullarton patients are being forced to move surgery due to GP staffing issues.

Fullarton residents have hit out at the move saying it’s unfair to arbitrarily force residents to move practice without any consultation.

In a letter sent to patients and passed to the Irvine Times last week Townhead Surgery said their care would be moving to Eglinton Family Practice.

It said: “resignations, impending retirements, and failed attempts to recruit new GPs” had put the practice at risk of closure.

“After long and difficult discussions and support from Ayrshire and Arran Health Board” the GP surgery is “unable to continue to provide care for up to 1,000 of our current patients.”

“This is not a decision we would have taken were there any other viable options.”

The letter stated the decision was the responsibility of the Health Board, “who made the decision as to who is affected”, adding “this is not something that Townhead Surgery has had any influence over.”

The letter went on to say: “We are truly sad that this situation has arisen and would like to apologise for any upset or inconvenience that you experience as a result.”

“We will no longer be accepting any patients from the Fullarton area and as such we are unable to keep any patients on or make an exception in any case.”

The 1,000 patients affected are having their care transferred to Eglinton Family Practice, which is opening a 'health hub' in the area, but NHS Ayrshire & Arran haven't yet confirmed an opening date.

Fullarton resident Robert Campbell told the Irvine Times: “They were saying the surgery was going to shut down altogether, but you go in there and sometimes there’s only maybe three or four people actually in the waiting room, and you’re thinking how are they moving us? The place never seems that busy.”

Alex Younger, from the Fullarton Tenants Association said: “It came out of the blue, but I don’t know how it’s going to work.

“They’re moving us over on May 16 supposedly to this new hub in the Fullarton centre, but I don’t know if it will be ready by then, they keep changing the date of the opening.

“If the Fullarton centre’s not ready that mean’s we’ll all have to travel further for doctor’s appointments, which makes it worse.

“There’s no further information on it, we’re moving to Fullarton Hub and that’s it. How it’s going to operate or whether there will be a doctor there every day I don’t know.”

An NHS Ayrshire & Arran spokesman said: “Since experiencing recruitment difficulties in replacing GPs, Townhead Surgery in Irvine has agreed with NHS Ayrshire & Arran to reduce the number of patients registered at the practice so that it can continue to provide a clinically appropriate service to the majority of its patients.

“Currently Townhead Surgery provides care to 13,800 patients. One thousand of these patients from the Fullarton area of Irvine have been asked to move to Eglinton Family Practice.

“Eglinton Family Practice has also indicated that it has plans to expand its practice in the near future by opening a ‘health hub’ within the Fullarton area of Irvine.

"Eglinton Family Practice has the capacity to include 1,000 patients from Townhead Surgery. The Practice has recently taken on an extra GP and it currently operates a limited service currently in the Fullarton area.

"A community facility in the Fullarton area, which will incorporate the health hub is currently under construction. It is hoped this will be completed by late June/early July with the Practice opening to patients after this.

“We would like to reassure patients that this decision was not taken lightly and was taken to ensure the future sustainability of local GP services in Irvine. We recognise that some patients may have to travel slightly further in the interim period before the new ‘health hub’ opens and we apologise for this inconvenience.”