Doubt over Bishop's Castle surgery future as GPs unpaid
The future of Bishop's Castle Medical Practice has been thrown into doubt after it emerged that surgery GPs have worked without pay for more than a month.
Dr Adrian Fairbanks and Dr Sue Lambert operate the practice in School House Lane with Dr Adrian Penney in a three-way partnership. However, last year Dr Penny fell into dispute with his partners.
Now Dr Fairbanks and Dr Lambert have claimed Dr Penny vetoed certain payments on the surgery's joint bank account in August.
The development has effectively led to a freeze on the wages of Dr Fairbanks and Dr Lambert since early September. Dr Fairbanks said the situation at the surgery was 'extremely complex', adding: "We want to answer, as much as is possible, the many concerns from patients who have already learned of the partnership freeze on wages."
Dr Lambert added: "We can't be reassuring. We want to maintain medical services to Bishop's Castle for the sake of the community and the staff here.
"But we can't continue for very long without an income." Dr Fairbanks and Dr Lambert have also appealed to patients not to put extra pressure on the practice by asking questions about its future.
Dr Penney said he would not comment on the situation until it had been fully resolved. The dispute between the partners dates back to the beginning of 2011.
Since then Dr Penney has only worked at the surgery on a handful of occasions.
Aspects of the dispute are still shrouded in mystery but it is known Dr Penney wanted to dissolve the partnership in November last year – a move rejected by Dr Fairbanks and Dr Lambert.
Since then Dr Fairbanks and Dr Lambert have tried to buy out Dr Penny. It is understood the three GPs tried to reach an agreement through an independent facilitator in March but could not settle the matter.
