Patients call GP closure in Magherafelt ‘disheartening’

SEVERAL patients of a GP surgery closing in Magherafelt this week have voiced their frustrations over the arrangements to continue their care.

The Fairhill Medical Practice’s last day will be on Thursday, with over 2,300 patients being informed this week which of 11 neighbouring practices they will be assigned to.

The Department of Health announced the decision last week after efforts to secure a new GP contractor had proven unsuccessful.

A spokesperson said proposals to build a new health centre in the area were financially unviable, and that every effort was being made to ensure continuity of care.

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The Mid Ulster GP Federation had warned that patients were being put at risk by the quick turnaround, with SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone also concerned about the practical difficulties of transferring medical records between practices using different computer systems.

Among the patients is Magherafelt resident Cathryn Brown, who has now been assigned to a practice 10 miles away in Cookstown.

Posting on social media, she said: “Having lived in Magherafelt all my life, it is so disheartening that we do not have enough doctors trained who want to/are able to take on a clinic in my local town.

“Also bearing in mind that the local practices must be near capacity that we were unable to be allocated a place elsewhere in town.

“With the health service at the moment you would wonder why we pay taxes!”

Praising her former GP at Fairhill, Dr Richard Hunter, she added: “To all our local representatives and to those in Stormont and across the water in London, we the tax paying public are not happy with this sub-standard service. We demand a better health care without the strings and entrapments.”

In another letter to a patient shared by Mr McGlone, one patient was told by letter that they had not been proactively assigned a new doctor “and you will need to register with a local GP practice at your earliest convenience.”

The letter adds: “I hope you take this opportunity to register with a local practice of your choice, otherwise you will not be registered with any practice after October 31.”

Another patient in Castledawson, is now trading a 2.5 mile drive to Fairhill for a surgery in Portglenone.

“I will have to drive past two clinics to go to Portglenone which is 10-12 miles from me, not happy,” they said.

Another commented: “I’ve been allocated Cookstown and to be honest I’m just relieved to have been given a new practice. We are blessed in this country with the NHS.”