AS the GP crisis persists across the local area, patients at a number of rural practices can expect further disruption in the weeks ahead.
Over recent years the Western Trust has taken over a number of local practices after the GPs handed back their contracts, including in Brookeborough and Tempo, and Trillick and Dromore.
The take over of the practices by the Trust was unprecedented, since health trusts do not ordinarily have responsibility for general practice, and were indicative of the scale of the problem in rural areas.
These arrangements had been lauded as a success initially, however the Trust has now warned of an ongoing issue with cover at the practices.
Every month the Trust publishes its ‘risk register’ which is shared with its board and made available to the public.
In its latest risk register, the Trust has warned of a potential for no cover at the GP practices it now runs in the local area.
The document stated that there were 110 vacant sessions across its four GP practices between May 1 and August 31, and noted this was equivalent to 55 days without GP cover.
In addition, the risk register stated there were 162 sessions with only one GP to cover, which is stated was the equivalent to 81 days.
The Trust said it had lost five locum GPs from its pool, as a result of two taking maternity leave and three taking up posts elsewhere.
Speaking to our sister paper the Ulster Herald last week, newly elected MP Pat Cullen said an “urgent conversation” was needed about investment in primary care and how to retain our local services.
“When you take primary care away from rural and local communities, other services start to get decimated as a consequence,” she said.
“Local pharmacies are impacted, your local community groups and all of those services are coordinated and really important to be there.”
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