Northern Ireland’s General Practitioners (GPs) have reached a pivotal agreement on a new contract, marking a significant shift in how insurance costs for medical negligence claims are handled. For the first time, the Department of Health has allocated £5 million to assist GP surgeries in meeting the expenses associated with insuring against such claims.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has lauded the one-year funding as a positive step forward. This development forms part of the alterations outlined in the 2024/25 GP contract, which aims to reduce the financial burden of running GP practices and address the issue of dwindling doctor numbers within the sector.
GP indemnity, a requisite insurance for all GPs practicing in the UK, has traditionally been covered by the NHS in England, Scotland, and Wales. However, in Northern Ireland, GPs were previously responsible for their own indemnity bills, which could amount to thousands of pounds annually per GP. This discrepancy was viewed as a deterrent for medical graduates considering employment in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister Robin Swann hailed the agreement on the GP contract as “very welcome news,” emphasizing its importance in stabilizing GP services. Despite this progress, Swann acknowledged that there remains substantial work ahead.
Leading the negotiations for the BMA was Belfast GP Alan Stout, Chair of the Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee (NIGPC). Stout highlighted the primary aims of the negotiations: simplifying the contract, ensuring fair compensation, and addressing indemnity concerns. Equalizing indemnity provisions for GPs in Northern Ireland was a non-negotiable objective, Stout asserted. The £5 million allocated for indemnity costs this year will be distributed among practices based on patient numbers, with an average practice set to receive approximately £15,900 for the current financial year.
Stout expressed ongoing commitment to collaborating with the department to establish a longer-term indemnity solution that aligns with the rest of the UK.
The Department of Health affirmed its commitment to reaching agreement within the existing General Medical Services (GMS) budget envelope, despite considerable financial challenges in the health sector. Northern Ireland’s health service is under immense strain due to rising demand across GP surgeries, hospitals, and social care services, exacerbated by an aging population with complex health needs. In recent years, 25 GP practices in Northern Ireland have relinquished their contracts, necessitating intervention from health authorities to maintain services until replacements are secured.
Minister Swann underscored the importance of stabilizing GP services, citing the contract as a positive step in that direction. While constrained by budget limitations, Swann emphasized the contract’s progress in addressing key concerns raised by GPs.
Last month, Stormont ministers agreed on a budget for Northern Ireland, with the Department of Health receiving the largest share of day-to-day funding. However, Swann, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), dissented from the budget, citing a decrease in funding compared to the previous year and warning of potential repercussions on various healthcare services.
To streamline payment processes for GPs, the Department of Health and the BMA agreed to transition payment arrangements for certain services into “core funding.” Dr. Stout praised this move as a simplification of current arrangements, ensuring that practices receive the bulk of their funding in 12-monthly installments to aid cash flow and budget planning, while safeguarding against income losses for any practice.