A group of family doctors in Northern Ireland has said patients are being put at risk after the Department of Health said they would have to take on thousands of patients from a practice that is closing.
The Mid-Ulster GP Federation said there were “glaring gaps in the current process that could compromise patient safety” when 2,300 patients from Fairhill Medical Practice in Magherafelt are transferred.
They say the collapse of GP practices under the Department’s watch is becoming “alarmingly common” and believe patient safety is being compromised.
Fairhill Medical Practice will close at the end of October, with patients expecting to transfer to neighbouring practices.
However, earlier this month, the Mid Ulster GP Federation, which represents those other local practices, said it “will not accept patients being dispersed from the recently closed Fairhill Surgery”.
They said it would not only “compromise the care of new patients but would also put our existing patients at risk”, as their practices are also over-stretched.
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 Fairhill patients have been advised they can continue to access services there as normal until 31 October 2024.
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The current Fairhill 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.”
In response, the Mid Ulster GP Federation said it continues to be “gravely concerned” about the Department of Health’s decision to push ahead with the dispersal of 2,300 patients from Fairhill to surrounding practices “without sufficient support or consideration of the risks involved”.
A spokesperson added: “Despite requests, the Department has refused to have roundtable discussions with representatives from all impacted practices to properly address the processes and implications of this patient dispersal.
“This lack of collaboration and respect is deeply disappointing.
“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of patients. We have serious reservations regarding the safety of the patient notes transfer process, which has not been adequately communicated or planned.
“The absence of additional resources — whether administrative or clinical — leaves already overburdened practices with an unmanageable workload, significantly increasing the risk of errors and patient harm.
“There are several glaring gaps in the current process that could compromise patient safety, yet these concerns have been largely ignored by the Department.”
The statement added: “Under the Department’s watch, the collapse of GP practices is becoming alarmingly common, as more GPs reach breaking point and decide they can no longer continue.
“How the department have handled the Fairhill Surgery closure is yet another example of inadequate support for practices during a time of crisis.
“We urge the Department to engage meaningfully with the practices, and take immediate steps to ensure that more is done to ensure patient safety is not compromised.”
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