Kilkeel Medical Practice, which has been temporarily saved from closure. The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has taken over the contract for the practice, and this arrangement will be in place until March 31st.
The Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed this agreement, assuring patients that they do not need to take any action, and services should continue as normal.
This development comes as part of efforts to address the challenges faced by medical practices in Northern Ireland. Other practices, such as Priory and Springhill Surgery, were also at risk of closure but were temporarily managed by health trusts until new contractors took over.
The number of surgeries in Northern Ireland has decreased over the years, with 317 surgeries at the end of March 2023 compared to 350 in 2014.
When GPs decide to hand back their contract to run a medical practice, it can be due to various reasons such as retirement, staffing issues, recruitment problems, or financial pressures. In such cases, the Department of Health seeks new GPs or a group of GPs to take over the practice.
Northern Ireland has the second-highest number of GPs per 100,000 registered population in the UK, with Scotland having the highest.