GP surgeries: Up to 50 NI practices 'in crisis', says BMA

Sixteen surgeries have handed contracts back to the Department of Health in the past year, the BMA says

Up to 50 GP surgeries in Northern Ireland are at risk of closure, the British Medical Association has warned.

Sixteen surgeries have handed contracts back to Stormont's Department of Health (DoH) in the past year, according to the BMA in NI's chair, Dr Tom Black.

A further 30 practices are "in crisis", he added.

The warning comes as the Western Trust confirms it will temporarily take over the Racecourse Medical Group GP practice in Londonderry.

The trust will run services there from 1 June.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's The North West Today, Dr Black said the number of practices at risk is continuing to rise.

"Last summer, the BMA said we had 20 practices in Northern Ireland at risk, in crisis. People criticised us for coming out and saying that and yet 16 of those practices have since handed back their contracts.

"At the moment, we have an additional 30 practices in crisis, that's 50 in total.

"We are worried a lot of those practices will hand back their contracts."

A failure to adequately address underfunding, increasing workloads and recruitment difficulties are putting surgeries under increasing pressures, Dr Black said.

• Call for urgent help with another GP surgery at risk

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Racecourse Medical in Derry has about 4,800 patients. It handed back its contract in December - one of two surgeries in Derry to do so in recent months.

A Manchester-based GP had been due to take over but he has now dropped out, a DoH spokesman said.

"The trust is stepping in to provide an interim solution following the unexpected withdrawal of the GP contractor who was awarded the contract earlier this month," the spokesman said.

Dr Tom Black says attracting new GPs to surgeries in NI is very difficult

Dr Black said contracts are being handed back because there are serious difficulties in finding a replacement when a doctor "retires or emigrates, or resigns".

Young doctors are being offered more attractive terms and condition in places like Australia or the Republic of Ireland, he added, and workloads are also increasing.

"In any other industry you would have increased the workforce - that hasn't happened because the funding isn't there," he said.

"From a financial point of view, it is very difficult to run a practice.

"We do need to lay this at the politicians' feet and say, 'You have underfunded for a decade and a half, we told you this was going to happen, it has happened, you need to fix it now'," he said.

There is deadline of 31 July to find a suitable contractor for Bridge Street Family GP practice, which has also handed back its contract

Dr Black said he was hopeful a solution could be found to allow services to continue at Bridge Street surgery in Derry, which handed back its contract in February. Services there are due to end on 31 July.

A recruitment process for a new contractor is ongoing.