A medical “crisis” has been averted with a last-minute plan to keep a GP surgery open and prevent more than 5,000 patients from having no access to family doctors.
Reports that Bannview Medical Practice in Portadown had been set to shut this month due to a lack of doctors had forced GPs in nearby practises to warn they could not accept any Bannview patients, as their own services were already stretched.
Sickness, maternity leave and resignations at Bannview had sparked the closure concerns at a time when the health service faces problems on multiple fronts.
GPs voted last month in favour of mass resignations should a funding row continue, while at the north’s hospitals, emergency department staff have faced an increase in patients, leading to a rise in waiting times.
Meanwhile, in the Republic, winter illnesses have been blamed for a hospital bed shortage that the Irish Health Care Executive has warned could last for weeks.
In December, GPs held an emergency meeting over Bannview, during which they ruled out taking on Bannview patients following the expected closure.
In correspondence with the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), the GPs said they were currently already handling over 2,000 patients each.
Upper Bann UUP MLA Doug Beattie called the situation a “full-blown crisis”, before the HSCB said yesterday that it was now in discussions with a potential contractor to take over Bannview.
A spokeswoman insisted the practice would not be shutting its doors.
“We would like to reassure patients of the practice that high quality and safe GP services will continue to be provided,” she said.
“The Board and Practice apologise to all patients for the current inconvenience and will continue to work diligently together over the coming days to endeavour to ensure normal cover and the full provision of general medical services resumes as soon as possible.
"We would ask patients to continue to support the practice at this time.”
The development was welcomed by Mr Beattie who said it was “unacceptable” that the HSCB had waited until yesterday to “put patients’ minds at rest”.
He added: “I look forward to a long term plan for GP services in Portadown and a degree of stability. In the meantime, I will continue to show my support for all the GPs who work under immense pressure in the Portadown Health Centre.”
However, Sinn Féin accused politicians of "scaremongering" over the GP service.
"(The) alarmist stories of some elected representatives is more to do with a possible Assembly election than it has to do with ensuring a continued Bannview GP Practice," John O’Dowd said.
“Contrary to some misinformed reports Portadown Health Centre is not closing, Bannview is open and a GP can be accessed by contacting the surgery. The Health Board are pro-actively trying to bring a permanent solution to the issue and have an interim plan in place."
Dr Tom Black, chair of BMA Northern Ireland’s General Practitioners Committee, said services must be prioritised by Stormont and saved in the long-term.
“This can be done by investing 10 percent of the Northern Ireland healthcare budget on a safe, sustainable GP service for patients; training more GPs so practices at risk of closure can stay open and meet the needs of patients, and reducing bureaucracy and improve IT systems so more time can be spent providing care to patients,” he said.