Northern Ireland agrees £40m GP deal, but BMA says more funding needed

A new contract with general practitioners in Northern Ireland has been agreed, according to the region’s health minister, Robbie Butler. He says the deal, backed by an extra £40m, will make it easier for patients to book a doctor’s appointment. The agreement brings an end to a dispute that began more than a year ago, when family doctors pulled back from some services over what they described as inadequate funding.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the deal only in part. Dr Frances O’Hagan, head of the BMA’s panel for GPs in Northern Ireland, told BBC News that the money marks a starting point. She said it falls well short of what is needed to tackle the pressures facing GPs.

How the money will be used

The Department of Health said it would provide the £40m over two years. The department said the aim was to see progress that can be tracked, both in how quickly patients get seen and in the volume of community care delivered. O’Hagan said the money would pay for more GPs and receptionists, adding capacity to surgeries.

Butler put the value for the current year at about £17.7m. Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme, he said the extra funding would depend on terms in the contract. These include GPs taking part in a “neighbourhood model”, where several kinds of health worker operate from a single site.

Under that model, physiotherapists, mental health workers and social workers would hold clinics alongside GPs. Butler said this approach is a broader trend that the whole health and social care field should follow. He also pointed to digital investment as a way to improve access.

Concerns over the size of the funding

O’Hagan argued that spending on general practice in Northern Ireland is far lower than elsewhere in the United Kingdom. She said the region spends less than 5% of its health budget on primary care, which handles most consultations. She put the level she considers workable at around 10%.

She also compared the £20m a year with the size of the population. With about two million patients, she said the sum works out at roughly £10 per patient each year. She asked what such a sum could realistically achieve.

BBC News health correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly noted that family doctors had told the Health Committee that under 6% of total health spending reaches GP services. Connolly said that reaching 10% would mean close to £80m a year. She added that the £40m appears to fall short of what general practice says it needs.

Political reaction and what comes next

Philip McGuigan, who leads Stormont’s Health Committee, responded carefully, backing the agreement while reserving judgement. He said the investment should lead to better care, easier access and improved outcomes for patients. He added that his committee wants fuller details, including the source of the money.

McGuigan noted that Stormont has not agreed a budget, which raises questions about whether the funding can be guaranteed. He said patients would judge the deal by whether they can get an appointment when they need one. The BMA argues that talks should continue, while the minister presents the matter as settled.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• BBC News: £40m GP contract deal a 'start' but more funding needed, BMA warns

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