Thousands of Bridge Street & Racecourse patients 'will have access to GPs' Derry reps told

Mr Pat Brolly, Head of Business Support from the Strategic Planning and Performance Group informed a special meeting of Derry City and Strabane Council that ‘I can give you 100% guarantee that all patients will have access to GMS (general medical services) services’.

Both practices have given six months’ notice, with Racecourse Medical’s contract ending on May 31 and Bridge Street Medical’s contract ending on July 31.

Members were informed that recruitment processes are under way for both practices, and interviews are set to take place before the end of March for Racecourse and at the beginning of April for Bridge Street. However, Ms Deborah Faulkner, Practice Support Manager, explained that the Racecourse advertisement was extended for a further two weeks as no applicants had been received.

Mayor, Sinn Féin Colr. Sandra Duffy, spoke of the concerns: “As a councillor for Ballyarnett we’re being contacted constantly by residents and patients of the practice who are really concerned if they’re going to have a GP come June 1.”

Aontú Colr. Emmet Doyle expressed his concerns over the potential closure of the Racecourse and Bridge Street Medical Practices before seeking assurances for staff.

“In terms of the staff, I met with them today and they have recently been given a risk of redundancy letter because of the uncertainty that the Trust or the practice now faces,” he said. “If there’s another contractor, are those staff covered under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) arrangements. Ultimately what everybody wants to know is can you give a guarantee that Racecourse Medical will not close?”

Colr. Doyle warned of the potential consequences if these issues are not addressed, stating that it could lead to thousands of people in the district being unable to access GP services.

SDLP Colr. Rory Farrell emphasised the need for certainty and clarity regarding the continuity of services provided by the practices stating: “Every representative in this chamber, and indeed, the patients at Racecourse Medical and Bridge Street Medical, what they want to see as a bare minimum is that the current service continues.

Pointing out that both practices have set deadlines for handing back their contracts, with Racecourse Medical’s deadline being May 31 and Bridge Street Medical’s deadline being July 31, he added: “That creates a massive degree of uncertainty for the patients. It creates a massive degree of uncertainty for the staff employed at those practices. And it creates a massive degree of uncertainty for the GPs, staff and patients of all the other practices across this city because if Bridge Street closes thousands of patients will need to be redistributed elsewhere and if Racecourse closes, the same is going to happen.”

Councillor Farrell noted that no interviews have taken place to ‘give any degree of confidence that these contracts are going to be awarded to anybody and that the service that thousands of people across this city rely on on a daily basis is going to be protected’.

People Before Profit Councillor Maeve O’Neill expressed concerns about the impact of the recent contract hand-backs on the local community, calling them a symptom of the wider health and social care crisis.

Emphasising the need for a guarantee that these essential GP practices would not be closed she added: “The main thing I’m looking for today is: if we can’t find anybody to take over these contracts, that the trust will step in. It would be great to get a guarantee so that the stresses and fears of local patients and all the staff working there can be alleviated.”

Sinn Féin Colr. John McGowan expressed his concerns about the lack of response to the contract applications, stating: “It worries me that we’re at a stage now where we’ve only had one person reply in terms of the contract. Is there any chance that the application process will be reopened?”

Highlighting the strain on existing practices he added: “Our practices are trying to deal with too many patients at the moment, so I really hate to think what happens if these practices close and there are thousands of people trying to get into other ones?”

He called for a solution to be found to ensure that patients can continue to access GP services, and for a commitment to be given to the staff affected by the uncertainty, saying: “They haven’t done anything wrong. They showed up for work and worked right through COVID and now they find themselves in a situation where they don’t know when their job is going to end, which is an awful place to be in.”

In response to concerns raised by councillors, Pat Brolly explained that having only one or two applications is not unusual and that every effort is being made to secure new contractors.

Although unable to guarantee new contractors would be found, he said: “What we can give is a guarantee that there will be a provision of GMS services for all of the patients who are currently registered with Bridge Street and Racecourse.

“We’re making every effort to ensure that we do secure a contractor for both of those practices and there’s a long and complicated process. The interviews have been delayed for valid reasons but we do hope to be interviewing before the end of March, beginning of April for the two practices. “

Mr Brolly offered reassurances for practice staff stating: “I do appreciate that this is a very trying time for staff, but should a new contractor be secured, then all of the staff who are currently working and employed in Racecourse and Bridge Street have their rights protected and automatically transferred across to the new contractor under law. “

Dr Kevin Cosgrove, GP Medical Advisor, assured councillors that patients will not be left without general practice cover, even if a new contractor cannot be appointed for Racecourse Medical and Bridge Street Medical.

“They will be allocated to a GP if the worst comes to the worst, but we would expect that there will be a new contractor in place to maintain the practice as it is, or both practices as they are, and I think from your point of view, you should just reassure patients that they will never at any stage be left without a GP, regardless of what way things pan out.”

Seeking further clarification, Colr. Doyle asked Mr Brolly if he understood correctly that regardless of the situation after May 31, there won’t be a closed sign on the doors of Racecourse Medical, and that his constituents in Ballyarnett will still be able to see a GP there on June 1.

He continued: “If that contractor isn’t appointed, are the Trust able to step in on a very close timeframe because we’re talking realistically about two months? So, ultimately, on June 1, are people who are registered with Racecourse Medical going to be able to see and make appointments to see their GP as normal regardless of what happens?”

Colr. Farrell stated: “What I took from it was that there’s a certain degree of confidence that the contractor or each of the practices will be identified and practices will survive beyond the deadline dates.”

Replying to the councillors, Mr Brolly, Head of Business Support said: “I can’t give a 100% guarantee we will have two new contracts to those practices, we’re making every effort to ensure that we will.

“I can give you 100% guarantee that all patients will have access to GMS services. At this point in time I can’t tell you what that will be 100% for both Bridge Street and for Shantallow. It could be a new contractor or it could be the Trust or in the worst case scenario the patients may have to be dispersed to another contractor, but all patients will continue to have access to GMS services.”

Regarding the possibility of the Trust stepping in, Mr Brolly stated: “The Trust have been very supportive of general practice and they stepped in very much at the last minute in relation to the Dromore and Trillick contract at the end of last June. They have experience of working with general practice and working with both ourselves in relation to that should we get to that situation, but we’re working to ensure that we don’t get to that situation.”

Concluding, Dr Kevin Cosgrove, GP Medical Advisor added: “Both Pat and myself are fairly confident we will get contracted for these two practices.”

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter