Around 5,000 are a risk of losing local medical care if a local GP practice is closed down in Derry, it has emerged.
Councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council have called for the Western Trust and Department for Health (DoH) to ensure the future of Racecourse Medical Practice in Shantallow after the current practice handed back their contract.
It comes as it was announced that it was proposed that a special council meeting be held in due course to discuss potential plans with DoH, GP leaders and staff at the GP practice.
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The substantive motion passed unanimously.
Speaking at a Health and Community Committee on December 8, SDLP Cllr Brian Tierney said: “There’s almost 5,000 patients registered currently in Racecourse Medical Practice and as many people will know the Ballyarnett DEA is one of the fastest growing areas across this council district, if not across the North.
“Ballyarnett is an area where we need improved services in every aspect of public life and to have the threat of this GP practice being taken out of our area is something which is causing a lot of distress and anxiety for patients.”
He added: “The Department for Health put out three options, in my view two should not be considered. One was that the Western Health and Social Care Trust would continue to run the service up until six months after the contract is handed back and then the patients would be dispatched to other practices.
"We need to find a GP to take on this contract and to ensure that the Racecourse Medical Group stays within the heart of Shantallow.
“There is a growing concern that we don’t have a Minister for Health who we can write to and encourage them to do all they can to support this practice and the people of Shantallow.
"The reality is we need to do all we can to support people. This council and people across this community are being handcuffed because we have no Executive at Stormont.”.
Meanwhile, Aontú Cllr Emmett Doyle added: “Let’s be clear, whilst this practice is at the heart of Shantallow there are people from across this city who are patients at Racecourse.
“This is a GP service but we also have to look at all the link services that could be affected if the Department of Health doesn’t get their finger out.”
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