'˜The NHS has ruined my health' claims Milton Keynes GP

Dr Ron Carter, who developed and ran Willen Surgery for years, is now forced into bankruptcy, suffering from extreme stress – and even faced being arrested.

“The NHS destroyed my practice, leaving me high and dry, after serving MK patients for over 30 years,” said the 66-year-old once highly-respected GP.

Mr Carter was a pioneering ‘GP developer’ when he took out a loan through the government to build and open Willen surgery in the late 1980s.

The problems started piling up after he stopped working there in 2007.

As the NHS inMK stumbled through repeated government-imposed reorganisations, relationships and partnerships at the Willen practice were fracturing.

As a result the surgery closed its doors, with no warning to its thousands of patients, in April 2013.

“It was harrowing. My heart went out to the patients. They had such a raw deal,” said Dr Carter.

Unable to make the hefty loan repayments, he had no choice but to allow the building to be repossessed.

“Meanwhile NHS England showed no sign of re-opening the surgery. It was all an unmitigated disaster and a waste of more than £2 million of taxpayers’ investment,” he said.

MK council took Dr Carter to court over a £10,000 rates bill - for the years the surgery was closed. An arrest warrant was issued but will now be withdrawn.

Willen surgery re-opened in August last year - 40 months after it closed. Known as NPMC@Willen, it is now run successfully by Newport Pagnell Medical centre.

Dr Carter added: “I’ve gone into personal voluntary bankruptcy because of the £430,000 debt to the loan company. But MK Council was chasing me for backdated business rates. I am so glad they changed their minds.”