Over 30,000 people have signed a BMA Northern Ireland petition calling on the Northern Ireland Health Minister to address the escalating crisis in General Practice here.
The signatures were officially handed in to the Northern Ireland Assembly this week and presented to the floor of the house by the Chair of the Committee for Health, Paula Bradley MLA.
Member of BMA Northern Ireland’s General Practitioners Committee, Dr Arnie McDowell, presents a petition of over 30,000 signatures to Chair of the Committee for Health, Paula Bradley MLA. The BMA Northern Ireland petition calls on the Northern Ireland Health Minister to address the escalating crisis in General Practice here.
The petition was launched in July after the release of BMA Northern Ireland’s report into the crisis in primary care here which starkly illustrated the pressure GPs are currently under.
The report revealed that 74% of practices across the country say they are struggling and nearly 10% are ‘barely coping’ due to escalating problems such as growing patient list sizes, serious staffing gaps, growing paper work and bureaucracy.
Available to sign in GP surgeries across the country over a six-week period, the petition called on the Minister for Health to ensure the survival of general practice throughout Northern Ireland by:
* Investing 10% 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
* Reducing bureaucracy and improve IT systems so more time can be spent providing care to patients.
This week’s petition presentation took place just two weeks after BMA Northern Ireland’s General Practitioners Committee (NIGPC) announced it would be asking GPs across the country to consider their willingness to submit undated resignation letters to the Department of Health in response to the deepening crisis in general practice.
Speaking about the petition, NIGPC member, Dr Arnie McDowell, said he was delighted with the support shown for the petition campaign.
“To collect over 30,000 signatures in just six weeks is testament to how much value people in Northern Ireland place on general practice,” said Dr McDowell.
“We’re overwhelmed and delighted by the support we’ve received and it gives us great heart that the public is backing our calls for immediate action to save general practice in Northern Ireland.
“We cannot stress enough that the Minister of Health needs to act on this now. The majority of rural practices in Northern Ireland are at serious risk of closure due to workforce and workload issues. However the depth of the crisis is now such that larger practices in more urban areas are also at increasing risk.
“It’s a matter of urgency to not only rescue general practice, but to ensure that patients in Northern Ireland have a responsive, safe and sustainable general practice service that they know will be there when they need it.”
Paula Bradley MLA said: “Today I presented a petition on the floor of the Assembly with over 30,000 signatures in support of the British Medical Association Northern Ireland’s general practitioner members.
“General practice is one of the key bedrocks of every community in Northern Ireland and is the first point of contact for 90% of health and social care related needs.
“However general practice is now in crisis due to an excessive workload, diminishing workforce and inadequate funding.
“This petition calls on the Minister for Health to ensure the survival of general practice throughout Northern Ireland by investing 10% of the Northern Ireland Healthcare budget on a safe, sustainable GP service for patients; increase the number of training posts to 111 and reduce bureaucracy in order to allow more time to be spent providing care for patients.”
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