Time running out for crisis-hit GP practice

TWO options are now open in a last-gasp bid to solve the deepening crisis facing the Dromore and Trillick GP surgery, which is at risk of imminent closure, a leading GP has warned.

Dr Paul Molloy has said the Western Health Trust could take on the contract, but that it now looks increasingly likely the practice will close and patients asked to join neighbouring surgeries instead.

As it stands, the practice faces the other option – final closure – on June 30, unless the appointment of a new doctor provides a reprieve.

Earlier this month, Health Minister, Robin Swann, said his department was working with the practice and GP representatives regarding its long-term future, and also with the Western Local Medical committee and South West GP Federation.

But Dr Molloy, of the British Medical Association, who is based in the north-west, says the current situation in Dromore and Trillick was not something which had ‘just arisen’, but has been part of a growing problem stretching back more than a decade.

He has also questioned whether politicians had been doing enough to address the many issues facing health care in the North.

“Within the BMA, we have been aware for over 15 years of the declining numbers of GPs, and that the numbers of medical students and new GPs were not keeping track with population growth or retirements,” he said.

“There has been a gradual closure of single-handed GP practices rurally for quite a few years, and becoming a rural GP seems to be less attractive, probably due to a failure to expose medical students to it.

“The recent establishment of medical school at Magee, the increase in GP teaching in undergraduate medicine and the increased numbers of GP trainees are recent developments and are 10 years too late.

“Primarily, therefore, the problems we face are due to a failure to recognise these workforce warnings at Deparment of Health level.”

Dr Molloy points out that many other small rural practices in Tyrone and Fermanagh – such as Newtownstewart – have been amalgamated in recent years, and that there are contributory factors to the situation currently facing Dromore.

“Dromore lost two long-standing established partners.

“The new contract holder was unable to run the practice, and under the supervision of the local board, it has been run by locum GPs and ancillary staff for the last few months,” he adds.

“The contract was advertised widely with very attractive enhancement terms. Despite this, there was no new GP found.

“Several other options were explored. These included the local federation taking it on. However, again, staff could not be found.

“The neighbouring practices are just about managing their own lists and felt unable to take on Dromore. The board have tried everything and explored all options.

“The failure to act ten-to-15 years ago, when this was forecast, have led us here. Political inaction and an inability to fund MDTs, and properly plan our NHS because our politicians won’t form an Executive, come closely behind if I was assigning reasons as to why I feel we are where we are.”