GPs in Northern Ireland are pressing for primary care to get a huge increase in funding as voters go to the polls for regional elections.

They have launched a “prescription for general practice” with a call for spending to increase from 8% of the health budget to 11% of the health budget. This would lead to a huge expansion in multi-disciplinary teams and growth in the number of GPs, the Royal College of GPs said. The College warned the number of practices has fallen by a tenth since 2014, warning that they would increasingly lack the resources to train new GPs.

Regional chair Dr Laurence Dorman said: “General practice is at the heart of communities across Northern Ireland and our services are hugely valued. However, following decades of underinvestment, we find ourselves in a very difficult place and regrettably, are struggling to meet the needs of our patients. Primary care is the bedrock of health and social care in Northern Ireland and provides up to 95% of healthcare people will need in their lives. However, despite successive expert reviews highlighting the need for further investment, the funding to deliver real change in general practice has never followed.

“As we approach the Northern Ireland Assembly election on the 5th of May, we are asking politicians, to invest in general practice, to make sure there are enough GPs to provide timely care and access for patients and that they have surgeries fit for that purpose. As we emerge from the pandemic, patient demand for GP services has never been greater, and we need their support now more than ever. We have a unique opportunity to redress years of underfunding and support our GPs and their practice teams to deliver care in the community, meet the needs of our patients and tackle worsening health inequalities.”

“We are asking political parties to prioritise the expansion of the GP workforce; roll out the Multidisciplinary team model to GP Practices across Northern Ireland; tackle the unsustainable workload levels; commit the resources needed to teach future doctors and invest in GP practice infrastructure. If these are not delivered, general practice will struggle to meet the needs of patients in our community and efforts to transform the wider health service will be futile.”