A NOTICE published in local media and a mailed letter have left some Coleraine-Casterton Medical service patients with more questions than answers.

While it is clear that the service’s head doctor and owner, Brian Coulson, will retire, it is unclear whether the service will operate in any capacity past the end of this month.

A patient of the clinic received a letter on the service’s letterhead, addressed from the practice manager and dated December 21, 2022, advising an appointment scheduled for early in the new year was cancelled.

The letter advised as the service was “unsure of availability going forward, we are unable to make a new appointment at this stage”.

The letter advised the patient, who suffers from a chronic health condition, to phone the clinic in the new year “when we hope to have been informed of alternative arrangements”.

No further information was received, however Saturday’s edition of The Spectator ran a paid advertisement with the headline, ‘Retirement of Dr Brian Coulson’.

The notice advised Dr Coulson had retired from medical practice and that a succession strategy to transition ownership of medical clinics at Casterton and Coleraine had been unsuccessful; it stated a potential sale of the clinic in June 2021 was “thwarted by another entity”.

It also indicated an attempt was made to sell the practice to Western District Health Service, “however we have now been advised by WDHS that they will not take up this opportunity to provide a service to the communities”.

The notice advised clinic premises - it was unclear whether this was Casterton, Coleraine, or both – would be open for “administrative activities only, for the month of January 2023”.

Coleraine-Casterton Medical service director, Coralie Coulson, was contacted earlier in the week for further clarification on the matters addressed in the notice.

Ms Coulson did respond to the contact, however no further information was forthcoming, including clarification as to whether the service was completely ceasing operation.

In June, last year, at a stakeholder meeting involving local users of GP engaged Primary Care services, the Coleraine-Casterton Service announced that Dr Coulson would be withdrawing from Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) work and on-call services to the Coleraine & Casterton Hospitals.

In a statement, the service cited safety concerns and Dr Coulson’s ability to give best practice care, given he was the sole provider of these services.

An end date of three months’ time was given for the VMO services.

WDHS chief executive, Rohan Fitzgerald said his organisation had received notice “in late December … that the Casterton and Coleraine Medical Clinic would close its doors at the end of January 2023, due to the retirement of respected GP Dr Brian Coulson”.

Mr Fitzgerald said with six weeks to find a resolution and the timing made all the more difficult due to the Christmas / New Year period, WDHS was unable to secure an ongoing commitment by a GP to run or work at the clinic – making it unfeasible for the Health Service to purchase the practice.

“WDHS will continue to work hard to secure community based medical services for Coleraine and Casterton - although it will be challenging to get a community medical clinic up and running between now and the end of January,” he said.

“I would like to thank Dr Coulson for his substantial contribution to the provision of medical services to the Coleraine, Casterton and surrounding communities over a 40-year period.

“It is a remarkable achievement, which is unlikely to ever be rivalled. I would like to wish Dr Coulson all the very best with his retirement.”