A LONG-STANDING Oxford GP has been suspended and an investigation launched into his care for patients.

Dr Mark Huckstep, who works at the Wolvercote Surgery and the Kendall Crescent Health Centre in North Oxford, was suspended by NHS Oxfordshire.

Under the sanction, annou-nced yesterday, he is unable to practise as a GP anywhere in the county pending the outcome of the investigation.

The trust has refused to detail the nature of the inquiry or why Dr Huckstep has been suspended.

However, Thames Valley Police told the Oxford Mail last night that the issue was not a police matter.

Services are continuing at both surgeries, which have a combined list of 1,741 patients, with cover being provided by locums. The Kendall Crescent Health Centre, established by Dr Huckstep, is the main surgery and the Wolvercote site, in Godstow Road, is a branch surgery.

A spokesman for NHS Oxfordshire said last night: “Dr Huckstep has been suspended due to an investigation into the care he has provided at Kendall Crescent Health Centre and Wolvercote Surgery.

“This means that he is unable to practise as a GP in Oxfordshire pending the outcome of the investigation.”

The spokesman refused to go into the details of the case and added: “We are not able to comment further due to the on-going investigation by the trust.

“However patient safety is of the upmost importance for NHS Oxfordshire.

“As Dr Huckstep provides GP services at both Kendall Crescent and Wolvercote, the trust has been working with him to ensure patient care is sustained through the employment of locum GPs so that both practices can be run as normal and patient care continued.”

Dr Huckstep, who is understood to live in Headington, has been a GP in the city for more than 14 years.

He opened the Kendall Crescent Health Centre in 1998, after he bought a former off-licence in the road and turned it into a one-stop NHS health surgery.

The building was redeveloped to provide two consulting rooms, a reception area, waiting room and a kitchen.

At that time, Dr Huckstep had been running his own practice for nearly two years from the South Parade Health Centre in Summertown and a clinic in Cutteslowe Community Centre.