Lack of Concrete Proposals for Continuation of Coast Road GP Service is Alarming – Beggs

Roy Beggs MLA who had been pressing the Health and Social Care Board to ensure the continuation of GP services for the patients of the Antrim Coast Road Medical Practise, has expressed disappointment and a degree of alarm at the lack of concrete proposals to date.

Roy Beggs said “Doctor Glover has provided decades of dedicated service to his Antrim Coast Medical Practise and its patients. He has provided this service well beyond the normal retirement date. It is disappointing after years of warning, there are still no concrete proposals to provide GP services to the area beyond his retirement date of March 2017.”

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Roy Beggs contacted the HSC Board seeking an update to their advertisement for the GMS contract for the Antrim Coast Medical Practise.

Mr Beggs said “It is disappointing to be advised that no applications were received to the public advertisement for GP services. I enquired what mechanisms the Board would be putting in place to ensure that GP services to the Carnlough and Glenarm area would be available. Whilst I have been advised that discussions are continuing with neighbouring practises, I am alarmed to learn that the HSC Boards last resort is to ‘disperse the patient list’.

Roy Beggs continued, “A local GP service is important to any rural community. The potential of having to travel to Larne, Ballymena or Cushendall each time residents from Glenarm and Carnlough need to visit a doctor is not a satisfactory solution. I have written to the Health Minister to highlight this difficulty to the isolated and rural community.

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