Ulster Unionist Health Spokesperson, Jo-Anne Dobson MLA, has called on the Health Board to explain how they were able to announce that a new GP contractor for the Bannview Practice in Portadown had been secured, only a day after an emergency package had to be agreed to stop the practice from collapsing.

Upper Bann MLA Jo-Anne Dobson said:

“Whilst I welcome the news that it would appear the future of the Bannview Practice has been secured, many people have now asked why the Health and Social Care Board even allowed the situation deteriorate so much so that over 5,000 patients were on the brink of having no GP cover as the practice was less than two weeks out from collapse altogether.  

“Following the publication of the letter by GPs in other practices in Portadown I wrote to the Health Minister and warned her of the very real risk of the deepening crisis. Unfortunately we have not got a Health Minister that listens, instead Michelle O’Neill is more interested in politicking and that is likely the reason why she did not even respond to my offer to facilitate a meeting between her and a number of the GPs involved.  

“Given the pressures already weighing down on GPs in Portadown, along with the fact that this practice was highly regarded by its patients, it meant that Bannview was simply too big to fail.

“The Health and Social Care Board now have a number of important questions to answer. Setting aside their apparent complacency in watching the situation in Bannview deteriorate from a problem to an out-and-out crisis, it took a media frenzy to force them to provide an emergency package of locum doctors.

“Whilst I appreciate that contract negotiations can be difficult and do require an element of privacy, people are questioning the convenience of the timing by the Board to be able to announce a contractor had secured, only a day after instense media and public interest in the story. The Board not only needs to provide further detail on what the interim rescue package looks like, but they also need to give a commitment that they will never allow the situation to become so critical again.”