Concerns have been raised around the Department of Health's ability to recruit and retain GPs as 13 contracts have been handed back in six months.
In a presentation given to Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration Committee and seen by Belfast Live, representatives of the Department's Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) told Councillors that 21% of the GP workforce on average are in the 55 year+ age group and therefore may be likely to retire within 5 years.
The committee were informed that there were 1,419 active GPs across Northern Ireland at March 31, 2022. This is a 0.6% increase in the number of GPs since 2021 and a 20.3% increase since 2014.
