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06/01/2017
New Contractor Secured For Bannview Practice In Portadown
A new GP contract provider has been secured for Bannview Practice in Portadown, Co Armagh.
The new provider will be in place from early March, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill confirmed.
Bannview has been at risk of closure as it would have been left with no GP cover.
Until the new provider is put in place, the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), will work with patients to ensure they have access to GP services.
Minister O'Neill said: "I made it clear in 'Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together’ that primary care is the bedrock of our health and social care system and I gave a commitment to significantly invest in primary care. I also recently accepted the recommendations of the working group that was established to review GP- led care services here.
"Real progress is being made to address the challenges facing general practice. AskMyGP, the online and phone triage system, is currently being rolled out to a further 30 GP practices. The number of GP training places will increase to 111 by 2018/19, a year ahead of the working group’s recommendation. Over 100 Practice Based Pharmacists will also soon be in place in general practice."
Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said: "This news is welcome but having received a letter from the Portadown Health Centre GPs on the 23 December 2016 telling them about the imminent closure of the Bannview practise I find it unacceptable that the HSCB have waited until now, and only after considerable media attention, to put patients minds at rest.
"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."
Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd said: "Over this last number of months Catherine Seeley MLA and I have been in regular contact with the Health Minister Michelle O'Neill and the Health Board in regards securing a solution to the issues surrounding Bannview.
"I would like to thank all those who have worked on this issue and brought it to a successful conclusion and wish the new GP practice all the best for the future."
(CD)
The new provider will be in place from early March, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill confirmed.
Bannview has been at risk of closure as it would have been left with no GP cover.
Until the new provider is put in place, the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), will work with patients to ensure they have access to GP services.
Minister O'Neill said: "I made it clear in 'Health and Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together’ that primary care is the bedrock of our health and social care system and I gave a commitment to significantly invest in primary care. I also recently accepted the recommendations of the working group that was established to review GP- led care services here.
"Real progress is being made to address the challenges facing general practice. AskMyGP, the online and phone triage system, is currently being rolled out to a further 30 GP practices. The number of GP training places will increase to 111 by 2018/19, a year ahead of the working group’s recommendation. Over 100 Practice Based Pharmacists will also soon be in place in general practice."
Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said: "This news is welcome but having received a letter from the Portadown Health Centre GPs on the 23 December 2016 telling them about the imminent closure of the Bannview practise I find it unacceptable that the HSCB have waited until now, and only after considerable media attention, to put patients minds at rest.
"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."
Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd said: "Over this last number of months Catherine Seeley MLA and I have been in regular contact with the Health Minister Michelle O'Neill and the Health Board in regards securing a solution to the issues surrounding Bannview.
"I would like to thank all those who have worked on this issue and brought it to a successful conclusion and wish the new GP practice all the best for the future."
(CD)
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