General Practice must be the foundation of new neighbourhood care model, doctors warn

General Practice must remain the bedrock of Northern Ireland’s new neighbourhood health and wellbeing model, doctors have warned, as the profession welcomed plans to bring more care closer to home.

Responding to the Department of Health’s newly published framework, the Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland (RCGP NI) said any long-term transformation of care will only succeed if it is built on a stable, well-funded and properly supported GP service.

The intervention comes after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt unveiled the new neighbourhood-based model, designed to shift more support into local communities and reduce pressure on hospitals.

While welcoming the direction of travel, GP leaders have made clear that the plan must be matched by meaningful investment on the ground.

“A critical juncture” for health and social care

Dr Ursula Mason, Chair of RCGP Northern Ireland, said the health service is facing a pivotal moment.

She said: “Our health and social care service is at a critical juncture. There is a real opportunity for reset within our health system to meet the evolving needs and growing demand of our population.”

Dr Mason said the College supports the emphasis on community-based care and early intervention, but stressed that General Practice must remain central to any reform.

She said: “RCGP NI welcomes the focus on enhancing care in communities and early intervention, but we are also mindful that the success of a neighbourhood model will be dependent on a strong and stable general practice.”

That message is likely to strike a chord across communities in Ballymena and wider Mid and East Antrim, where GP access and continuity of care remain critical concerns for many families.

GPs “will continue to provide the majority of care”

The College said that while the new model may change how services are organised, GPs will continue to be the frontline service for most patients throughout their lives.

Dr Mason said: “This model proposes changes to the way services are provided, but in reality, it will be GPs working on the ground who will continue to provide the majority of care for their patients throughout their lifetime.”

She added that any continued “shift left” — moving services away from hospitals and into communities — must be supported by appropriate and proportionate resources.

The warning reflects wider concerns across the sector about growing demand, workforce pressures and the need to protect access to appointments.

Workforce and patient access key concerns

RCGP NI said stabilising General Practice must remain a priority if the wider neighbourhood model is to become reality.

Dr Mason said: “We must be able to grow our workforce, protect access and ensure continuity of care for our patients.”

She welcomed the Department’s commitment to working with GPs on a longer-term strategic vision for primary care.

She said: “I am encouraged by the Department of Health NI commitment to developing a strategic vision for General Practice in collaboration with GPs that addresses our current deficits.”

A clear message to Stormont

The statement adds an important professional voice to the growing conversation around how Northern Ireland’s health service will adapt to rising pressures and an ageing population.

RCGP NI said it remains committed to working constructively with the Department to secure the resources needed.

Dr Mason concluded: “RCGP NI is fully committed to working constructively with the Department of Health to secure a well-resourced General Practice that prioritises patient needs, reflects experiences on the ground, and provides the secure foundation required for a neighbourhood model to become a reality.”

The message from the profession is clear: care closer to home can only work if local GP services are given the support they need to sustain it.

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At a glance

• RCGP NI has responded to the new neighbourhood care framework

• GPs welcome the focus on community and early intervention

• Doctors say General Practice must be the foundation of the model

• Workforce growth and patient access highlighted as key issues

• Warning that “shift left” must be properly resourced

• Calls for stable, well-funded GP services

• Department’s strategic GP vision welcomed

• GP leaders say local practices are essential to success