CUTS to the NHS have made headlines throughout winter but now the health service is set to lose one of its most-loved institutions, Doc Martin.

According to the Radio Times, the ninth and final series of the show will air in 2018.

The news will be difficult to take for “Clunatics” around the world, the nickname for fans of the actor.

Mr Clunes lives on a farm in West Dorset and spends a lot of time supporting and working with local Dorset charities.

Mr Clunes and his wife Philippa Braithwaite also organise Buckham Fair near Beaminster, which also supports local charities.

Last year’s Buckham Fair, raised more £90,000 for Weldmar, the highest in the event’s history.

Mr Clunes has confirmed that series eight will air on ITV this year with the final season going on screen in 2018.

Both are likely to air in the autumn.

Speaking to the Radio Times, he said: “We start making (series eight) in spring and it'll probably be on air in the autumn. So (series eight) is the second to last.”

Wife Philippa, runs the production company that makes the show.

Doc Martin is based in the fictional Cornwall seaside village of Portwenn and filmed in Port Isaac.

Since first airing in 2004 it has been one of ITV’s most successful programmes, with more than 10 million people sometimes tuning in to watch.

Mr Clunes received an OBE in 2015 for services to comedy and the Dorset community.

The actor, who shot to fame in Men Behaving Badly, probably found his most popular role as Doc Martin.

In 2004 the show won the British Comedy Award for best TV comedy drama and was also nominated for best new TV comedy.

Mr Clunes also won the best TV comedy actor award in the same year.

He has recently been on screen travelling down under on his Islands of Australia programme on ITV.

In a recent interview, Mr Clunes said how he loves visiting the amazing places of Australia but it only reiterates how much he loves living in Dorset.

Mr Clunes is also a patron of the Dorset charity TheHorseCourse, which uses horsemanship to tackle offending behaviour.

Last Christmas he offered a walk-on part in Doc Martin as a prize in a raffle raising money for the charity.