AN ESTABLISHED medical clinic launched an extraordinary attack on one of its practitioners after he left to set up his own business.

Wight Chiroporactic Clinic, which had premises in Haddington, shut its doors after Dr Luke Melbourne left to start his own clinic in the town.

But in a move which has left many patients shaken, the firm pasted a notice on its window laying the blame for its closure and the demise of two other branches at the feet of the departing Dr Melbourne.

In an astonishing attack, the notice said that the Haddington clinic, on Court Street, had been forced to close “due to the fact that our practitioner has set up nearby and taken our practice with him, with only one months’s notice”.

The notice went on to say: “The knock-on effect has been to drive the three branches of the 93-year-old Wight Chiropractic Clinic Ltd into insolvency with the loss of 12 jobs.”

Dr Melbourne, who worked at the clinic for more than three years, opened his own practice on Lodge Street in April.

He said he was disappointed by the actions of his former colleagues, adding it had caused some distress to patients who were aware of the notices.

Dr Melbourne said: “I wanted to expand and have my own business and gave the clinic one month’s notice as expected.

“I want to keep my business in Haddington, where I live and my children go to school. I was very keen to continue as a local business and have had fantastic support from my clients.”

Wight Chiropractic Clinic’s Haddington branch was run by Dr Melbourne with two part-time members of staff.

However, director Dr Graeme Wight took to social media to claim the closure of the branch had cost the company up to a dozen jobs and claimed two other branches were also now being forced to close.

He said: “This has been forced on us due to the removal of our practice in Haddington by our practitioner there to his own personal practice set up close by. Given one month’s notice, it has been impossible to salvage the situation. We have had to loose (sic) our 11 members of our fantastic team, who have been with us for up to 27 years. This has been the hardest part.

“I will be continuing in my practice at 30 Roseburn Place for the foreseeable future. Thereafter I will be looking for smaller premises to continue my chiropractic practice. Watch this space! The Melrose clinic will continue with me at the helm.”