A former Greenwich mayor has criticised the “brutality” of a Lee GP surgery after it took his 91-year-old mum off the books.

Allan MacCarthy, 68, had been registered with Lee Road Surgery his entire life. His mother, Daphne Humphry, had also been a patient there for decades.

But when Mr MacCarthy went to pick up a repeat prescription for his mum in November last year, he was shocked to find both he and his mum had been kicked out.

“[The prescription] didn’t come through - the pharmacy said they didn’t have it. Then the GP surgery said, ‘you’re not on our books now’.

“It turns out they had taken us off in May,” he told News Shopper.

A baffled Mr MacCarthy claimed he was not warned about being deregistered so he decided to appeal the decision. However, his appeal was rejected.

After reading that Lee Road Surgery had deregistered members of the Wheeler family from Eltham after 50 years, he decided to contact News Shopper.

“It rattled my mum,” he said.

Mr MacCarthy, who has lived in Charlton his entire life, has registered himself and his mum with a new GP closer to him – but he criticised the “abruptness” of Lee Road Surgery.

“It was brutally handled.

“It had never been a problem before. I just assumed they kept long-term patients on their books, wherever they lived.”

While he is grateful to be registered with a new GP, Mr MacCarthy argued he now sees a doctor who does not know his medical history.

“When you have doctors you’ve known all your life, they know all about you.

“When I saw the new GP over the road, they didn’t have any of my notes. I saw a doctor who had no knowledge of anything related to me.”

A spokesman for Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group said: "We’re not able to comment on individual cases, but we are keen to stress that it’s important that patients register with a GP practice close to where they live, so they can access important services.

“If a patient is deregistered, the surgery normally communicates the information clearly, in good time, allowing the patient to make alternative arrangements.

“Any patient needing emergency treatment, or treatment more than once a week, can still be seen by their existing GP until the condition improves or until a new GP practice accepts the patient.”