New GPs have expressed an interest in taking over two key medial practices in Co Down, it has emerged.
It was announced last month that the current GP partners at Priory Surgery in Holywood, which incorporates Springhill Surgery in Bangor, will hand back their contract to health bosses early next year.
The practices will stop providing General Medical Services from February 1st, 2023 if no new doctors can be found.
Read more: Work underway to find new GPs to take over Co Down surgeries
The surgery operates out of two sites in Holywood and Bangor and provides GP services for 14,525 patients.
The announcement prompted a large number of Priory patients to attempt to register at another GP practice in the area.
The Department of Health subsequently introduced a temporary freeze on the movement of GP patients in practices in north Down, Ards and east Belfast until the end of August.
A search has been underway to identify a replacement GP contractor or groups of GPs to provide medical services for Priory and Springhill surgeries.
Alliance Party MLA Andrew Muir and party colleagues Stephen Farry MP and Connie Egan MLA recently met with senior officials from the Department of Health, British Medical Association (BMA) and Royal College of GPs (RCGP), where it was revealed a possible way forward could be forthcoming.
Mr Muir said: “Whilst news that expressions of interest have been received from possible partners to take over at Priory and Springhill is welcome interviews and further work must follow to see how viable this is.
“The Department of Health need to progress this process without delay whilst also preparing back-up plans involving the Trust taking over the operation.
“Whatever happens must ensure continuity of care with fully resources practices able to offer full range of services at service standards patients need.”
Eight practices in Belfast have applied to close their lists to new patients in the last 12 months as surgeries struggle to cope.
In July, the partners of Grove Medical Practice in North Belfast announced that they will be unable to provide doctor services from the end of this year.
New GPs are being sought to take over at the medial practice on York Road from 1 January 2023.
Elsewhere, the Western Trust recently took over the contract for Dromore and Trillick GP Practice in Co Tyrone, which was under threat following the current doctor's resignation.
Just a month earlier, Health Minister Robin Swann published a review into general surgery provision in Northern Ireland. Mr Swann said the plan to reconfigure how surgeries are carried out here will deliver safer and more consistent care for patients.
The review, which was led by consultant surgeon Professor Mark Taylor, has produced a new set of standards that hospitals will be required to meet to continue to provide emergency and planned general surgeries.
The plan envisages greater separation of emergency and elective surgery provision, with different hospitals specialising in the different services. The exercise is part of the wider plan to reshape health delivery in Northern Ireland.
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