Patient access to GP services needs to improve says Health Minister Robin Swann

Meanwhile the chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGPs) in NI said it is not the fault of hardworking doctors and practice teams.

It comes after the college said the phone first system adopted in response to the pandemic is “here to stay”.

Mr Swann said: “Within weeks of taking office I recognised the service was in a perilous position and that’s why I asked for key reforms to be accelerated.

“The subsequent pandemic, combined with the continued reliance on inefficient single year Executive budgets, has slightly delayed some reforms but substantial progress has still thankfully been made.”

Discussing the phone first GP service he said: “Telephone first consultations allow patients to seek timely medical advice from their GP for both routine and urgent problems. Whilst I fully accept the advantages and benefits of such a service, I also recognise that the current system still isn’t working as it should.

“Whilst by no means everywhere, in some areas too many patients are having to ring practices far too many times before they get through to somebody on the other end of the line. That’s clearly not the level of service patients should expect.”

Dr Laurence Dorman, NI chair of the RCGPs and a GP in Kilkeel, said: “We recognise and understand that many patients are struggling to access our services. This is deeply distressing for our GPs and staff, who want to be able to provide timely and compassionate care in their communities, but they are genuinely overwhelmed and cannot meet this current demand. Please know we are trying our very best but despite all tireless efforts, we cannot meet demand at present.

“General practice is in crisis and that has been well articulated over the last number of days. It is now time for action; to invest in our community care services, expand the GP workforce, tackle unsustainable and unsafe workload levels and expand practice teams to include physiotherapists, mental health workers and other professionals.

“Patients deserve better, as do our exhausted, demoralised GPs and their practice teams.”