Flax Medical Centre: Ardoyne GP practice saved as new contractor found

A GP practice in north Belfast has been saved from closure after new management was found to operate it, the Department of Health (DoH) said.

Flax Medical Centre, in Ardoyne, needed new managers after its operator returned their contract to the department.

Oldpark Group Practice has been named as the new operator from 1 January.

Both practices will relocate to a new purpose-built premises at the Everton Centre from 16 January.

It will be renamed Eden Park Medical Practice, and all patients will be automatically registered with the new service.

They will also receive a letter in the next few days confirming their new GP practice.

• Ardoyne residents meet to save GP service

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Previously, Ardoyne residents were worried the centre's 3,000 patients would be at risk if a new contractor was not found by the end of December.

Figures from the Department of Health show the number of GP practices in Northern Ireland has fallen by just under 9% in eight years.

But, despite the decrease in practices, the number of GPs, excluding locums, has gone up by 20% to 1,419 since 2014.