THE Department of Health has said work is underway to find new GPs to take over at a medial practice in North Belfast.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that the current partners of Grove Medical Practice on York Road will no longer be providing GP services from December 31.

The Department said it will be advertising for new GPs to take over this contract from January 1, 2023 and is advising patients to continue to contact Grove Medical Practice as normal.

Alan Stout, BMA’s Northern Ireland general practitioners committee chair said staff at the practice had been "under immense, growing pressures".

"This decision to close has not been taken lightly by the partners and is the absolute last resort," he said.

"It is very sad and frustrating to see yet another GP practice close in Northern Ireland despite the best efforts of partners to maintain services in the face of mounting pressures on primary care. 

"The most recent stats on general medical services here show that there are now fewer practices across Northern Ireland, yet they are having to deal with growing numbers of patients.

"This is simply unsustainable and will lead to more and more GP partners being forced into making the very difficult decision to cease services.

"This then has a knock-on effect on neighbouring practice patient lists and forces the most sick and vulnerable in our communities to travel further for care."

North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Caral Ni Chuilin said it was "a blow" to the North Belfast community and particularly the patients using this facility.

“I recently met GP representatives to discuss the concerns in general practice and workforce planning in the Belfast Trust," she said.

“Staffing is a serious issue and news such as this places further pressures on our already overstretched emergency departments at a time of rising cases of Covid19 and the huge concerns as to how the system will manage the winter pressures ahead.

“Clearly we need an executive in place now and a budget agreed so that the health service can plan for the next three years.

“Our GPs and their staff do outstanding work considering the current circumstances and the closure of yet another GP practice will impact most upon the local community.

“Patients need access to GPs and with the difficulties facing people trying to use the after hours services action needs taken to ease those pressures.

“Even as recently as this weekend emergency departments at the Mater and Royal were alerting users of extraordinary waiting times.”

SDLP councillor Carl Whyte described the news as "alarming".

“Grove Medical Practice has served thousands of people in North Belfast. The closure of the practice will cause significant disruption for patients, particularly older members of our community, and underscores the urgent need for investment in GP services.

“It should be an incredibly worrying sign that a practice in Belfast with a number of GPs and practice nurses is closing as a result of increased demand, staffing shortages and a lack of investment from the Department of Health.

“North Belfast is an area already under pressure when it comes to access to a GP. This news will only make the situation worse.

"I am seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to discuss service provision and access in North Belfast.

"It is critical that the Department of Health and the Health Minister get the situation under control so that local people can access GP services when needed.”

A DoH spokesperson said: "It is important to emphasise that the practice is still open and that current GPs will remain until the end of the year. Patients who require GP care should continue to contact Grove Medical Practice as normal.

"Work is underway to find GPs to take over the practice. Patients have been written to and should receive correspondence in the coming days. We will continue to keep patients informed of the outcome of this process.

"The Department of Health has continued to invest in the GP workforce and has increased the number of GP trainees by over 70 per cent from 2015 levels with an increased number of GP training places for 2022/23 by 10, which brings the total number in Northern Ireland to an all-time high of 121 training places.

"This will help stabilise our GP workforce and ensure it is sustainable for the future. This is being supplemented by the roll-out of Multi-disciplinary Teams in GP practices which will increase the types of professionals such as mental health specialists, physiotherapists, advanced nurse practitioners, social workers and pharmacist that patients can see in a practice setting."