Unsafe to move patients from closing surgery, GPs say

Transferring more than 2,300 patients from Fairhill Health Centre in Magherafelt in County Londonderry is unsafe, GPs have said.

On Friday about 2,000-2,500 patients will be dispersed amongst 13 practices in the surrounding area after the Department of Health said efforts to find a new GP contractor for Fairhill, which is based in Magherafelt town centre, had been unsuccessful.

Dr John Diamond, a GP at Garden Street Surgery in Magherafelt and Bellaghy Medical Centre, said none of the practices had received any information about the patients being transferred.

The Department of Health (DoH) said the practices were notified a week ago "at the earliest opportunity" and patient lists had been shared with them.

A spokesperson added that officials had been in contact this week with the practices to respond to queries and ensure "as smooth a transition as possible for both patients and practices".

"None of the practices have received any notes - we just have a list of names - so as of Friday we have no idea if any of these patients are palliative care - if they are housebound - if they have complex needs - we don't know their medications," Dr Diamond said.

“It's so unsafe - and we really are frustrated with the board - because they did not meet local practices to try to do this in a safe and manageable way.”

The DoH said it understood the concern and disappointment of patients at the closure of Fairhill but that moving patients to other GP surgeries was "the only feasible option".

A spokesperson added that the practices taking patients in would receive extra funding to support the administrative tasks involved in receiving the records of their new patients.

They said "all options were explored and exhausted" in trying to keep Fairhill open.

82-year-old Maisie Lee has been attending Fairhill for 70 years.

Her son Adrian is 60 and has complex needs.

He has been reallocated to Maghera Health Centre, in a town more than eight miles away, while she has been placed in Garden Street.

“Adrian is a vulnerable adult - he doesn't drive - I'm an old lady at 82 years of age - I don't drive - how are we supposed to get to Maghera?" she said.

“Adrian lives in sheltered accommodation. I have to get a letter to Maghera on Monday - what do I do get a taxi? Who pays for the taxi?

"It's not convenient - Adrian needs to see a nurse twice a week as he has an ulcer in his leg - who will get him to Maghera? I have applied to get him into garden street as that is where my GP is going to be.”

Another patient, Nick Speedie, has not received a letter yet to find out where he will be allocated.

He said the closure would hurt a lot of families in the local area.

"My biggest concern is trying to book in for appointments," he said.

"It's going to be very, very busy. Thankfully, my mum and dad have been placed locally as I was worried for them - as my mum wouldn’t be able to travel.

“My sister has been moved a bit far away . I don't feel this has been handled effectively - this is a staple for this town.”

Marie-Louise Connolly, BBC News NI Health Correspondent

Prof Rafael Bengoa, who led a 2016 review of healthcare, warned if Northern Ireland doesn’t change the way it provides health and social care the situation will get worse.

Well, it has indeed, it has got a lot worse.

The professor likened that avoidance of change to leaving the burning platform to blaze unchecked.

General Practice has been feeling that heat for some time and the flames are likely to get higher.

GPs affected say they raised concerns as far back as 2021.

While other practices have handed back contracts and their patients absorbed by either health trusts or other GP’s – this story in Mid-Ulster is different.

For the first time a practice has closed and, according to doctors, patients are being “forced” unto other practices who have themselves sought crisis intervention.

One doctor said the current GP model is dying and that it will take more than just resources to resurrect it.

Dr Allen McCullough, a GP at Antrim Health Centre and secretary of the Northern Ireland Local Medical Committee in the area, said the main priority was maintaining patients’ safety.

“We are constrained by the timings as we had a 12-week window," he said.

"It could have been timed better but that's a combination of uncontrollable factors.

“What we are now dealing with within the next 48 hours is the dispersal of over 2,000 patients - to a patient population of other practices of about 75,000 - and that could have a destabilising effect for primary care for that whole area.

Dr McCullough said his members were concerned.

“At no stage has any GP practice said they don't want patients - but they want to manage their care safely," he said.

Social Democratic and Labour Party assembly member for Mid Ulster, Patsy McGlone, said there would be a huge amount of paperwork involved in people being move to new practices.

"Practices will be overwhelmed - particularly those that will end up with a lot of print outs of people's paperwork," he said.