From Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland
Open Letter to Party Leaders from RCGPNI Chair
To all Political Party Leaders,
There are grave challenges and pressures facing the health and social care service in Northern Ireland. Patient waiting lists continue to grow, patient care is at risk and GP morale is plummeting.
General practice sits at the very heart of this. Family doctors provide vital care for every constituent across the region and families find support and comfort in the bonds they build with their local GP. There is nothing more valuable to people than good health.
Over the past few weeks, we have seen an alarming series of events unfold in Portadown. It is clear that there is no ‘quick fix’ to the recruitment and workload challenges we are facing but there are actions that we can take now to begin the journey to save general practice.
The Royal College of General Practitioners in Northern Ireland welcomed the focus on primary care and general practice in Health Minister Michelle O’Neill’s ten year vision Health & Wellbeing 2026: Delivering Together and were pleased to see the Minister committing to implement the recommendations from the GP-led Working Group Report in December 2016, which was produced in March 2016 while Simon Hamilton was Health Minister. These commitments must be funded as a matter of urgency.
Patients and GP’s simply do not have the luxury of another 12 months before we see progress on the ground. Patient demand is growing and the number of consultations carried out in general practice has increased significantly in ten years despite NI having the lowest number of GP’s per head of population.
Promises are not enough. Verbal commitments will not save Bannview and the many other practices across the region that are struggling to recruit and retain family doctors to meet the growing needs of our patients.
With an election looming in March, budget plans for allocating the much-needed investment in general practice and primary care, as promised by the Minister, are on hold. We may be able to press pause on our political institutions, but we cannot pause patient illness and we cannot risk the deterioration of our health service. Our patients deserve better than this.
RCGPNI is calling on political leaders in Northern Ireland to Put Patients First.
Regardless of the outcome of the impending election, we are asking you to commit your Party to support the necessary reform of health and social care in Northern Ireland and to support the future of general practice. Individuals and families from across the region must be assured that their local primary health care services will be available for them in the future. The risk of losing GP services in local communities is frightening for individuals and families. Doctors are working under immense pressure to try to care for patients in their community – but there is only so much good will and so much extra work that doctors can offer before they burn out.
The College is committed to working with the government and key stakeholders to ensure the future of general practice is secured.
We ask you for true leadership at this time, for unity across the political parties on health and social care – not to simply commit to change but to actively make it happen.
We need you to rise to the challenge and invest in the future of our health service in real terms. You have the power to change the future. Work with us to make sure patients get the care and support they deserve.
Dr Grainne Doran
(RCGPNI Chair).
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*  Health Minister Michelle O’Neill has committed to the recommendations of the GP-led Working Group report. The Royal College of General Practitioners was actively involved in the development of this. The report can be accessed at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/review-gp-led-primary-care-services-northern-ireland-recommendations-working-group
*  The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GP’s. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the ‘voice’ of GP’s on issues concerned with education; training; research; and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has just over 50,000 members who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline. RCGP NI represent over 1300 members in Northern Ireland.
