Londonderry: Future of Shantallow GP practice in doubt

A Londonderry GP practice is at risk of closure after it handed its contract back to the Department of Health.

The department said it was working to ensure an alternative service is put in place for the patients who attend the Racecourse Medical Group practice.

It confirmed that the department would retain the contract to deliver services for the next six months.

A recruitment process would now begin to put other arrangements in place, the department have said.

"Patients at the practice do not need to take any action," the department told BBC Radio Foyle.

It will now be writing to all practice patients in the Shantallow practice to keep them informed as the process begins.

It is understood GPs at the Racecourse Road practice in Shantallow have decided to hand the contract to the strategic planning and performance group (SPPG) ahead of the retirement of a partner.

"The news that the management of the Racecourse Medical Group have handed back the contract is causing extreme concern for people in this area," Social Democratic and Labour Party councillor Brian Tierney said.

"People have built relationships with the staff who provide an excellent standard of care and people in this community would be devastated to see it close.

"While the surgery will continue to operate as normal for at least the next six months, we need to see urgent action from the Department of Health to find new management so that it can continue to provide services to people in this area."

The move comes as one of Northern Ireland's largest GP practices, Maple Healthcare in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh, is at risk of closure after its operator handed its contract back to the department.

On Friday, two surgeries in Ballymena also indicated that they intended to resign affecting about 7,000 patients.

"It is very worrying when we hear it in specific areas, it's worrying when we hear it happening right across Northern Ireland," the British Medical Association (BMA) said.

Dr Alan Stout from the organisation said more and more practices were "really struggling to cope, struggling to keep doors open, struggling to pay staff and also struggling to keep up with demand".

"We are hearing far too frequently from all areas that practices are simply saying that they can't deal with it anymore and are handing back their contracts," he added.

Dr Stout said as soon as a GP practice handed its contract back the "clock starts ticking".

"In most cases it will be six months until a contract is actually advertised after it has been handed back," he said.

"Everybody will then try their best to get a new contractor, like a new GP, or it might be an agreement with other practices... or worst case scenario patients will then be allocated to other practices."

Across Northern Ireland, the number of GP practices has fallen by just under 9% in eight years according to Department of Health Figures.

Belfast - Flax Medical Centre, Belfast, County Antrim

Northern - Ballymena Family Practice, Ballymena, County Antrim

South Eastern - Priory Surgery, Holywood, County Down

Western, Maple Healthcare Practice, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh.

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