Patient letters sent out as surgery closure date confirmed

More than 2,300 patients are to be transferred to other doctors' surgeries

A GP practice in County Londonderry will close its doors next week, the Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed.

More than 2,300 patients from Fairhill medical practice in Magherafelt are to be transferred to other doctors' surgeries in the surrounding area from 1 November.

Last week, the Mid Ulster GP Federation said its members across 12 practices would not accept patients being dispersed from Fairhill.

However, the department responded that patients will be registered with 11 practices in the Magherafelt and Mid-Ulster area.

The department said letters had been sent out on Thursday informing patients which practice they would be registered with and to keep using Fairhill until 31 October.

Efforts to find a new GP contractor for the town centre location following a retirement had been unsuccessful.

The department said the decision to close Fairhill Health Centre had been made "despite the best efforts of all parties involved" to keep it running.

The DoH said regulations do not permit GP practices to refuse registration of assigned patients under such circumstances.

It added two of the four GP practices in Cookstown would not be receiving patients.