The Department of Health has confirmed that Fairhill Health Centre will close at the end of October.
Patients from the Magherafelt GP practice will transfer to neighbouring practices when it closes on October 31.
In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon the Department of Health said they had “pursued and assessed all feasible options at length” before concluding that the “assignment of patients is the best way to ensure continuity of GP services for those affected patients”.
They said letters have been issued to patients by post today, with the correspondence detailing which of the 11 neighbouring GP surgeries in the Magherafelt and Mid-Ulster areas patients will be allocated to from 1 November.
Those patients of Fairhill Health Centre have been advised they can continue to access services there as normal until 31 October 2024.
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The current Fairhill Health Centre GP contractor submitted a notice of intention to terminate their contract – due to retirement – on 31 July 2024.
That triggered an automatic three month period, where either the practice would close or a new GP contractor agreed to take it over.
According to the Department, “significant efforts to find a new GP contractor were made but have proved unsuccessful”.
A spokesperson added: “These included advertising the contract extensively, engaging with the local GP Federation, discussions with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the local medical committee.
“Departmental officials have engaged repeatedly in relation to a proposal to build a new health centre in the locality.
“However, this proposal would have involved public funds being used to either pay rent significantly above market valuation or provide a capital grant to enable a Limited Company to develop and own the new premises.
“Neither of these options would have been possible under the arrangements for taxpayer-funded support for GP premises development.”
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