To ask the Minister of Health to detail any steps he can take to improve the number of GPs serving patients in Carryduff, given the increase in population in the area in recent years.

I recognise the ongoing challenges facing General Practice and the impact that increasing demand and workload pressures are having on GPs.

To help primary care to deliver and grow, it is critical we train, develop and retain the GP workforce. Despite the numbers of GPs here increasing by around 9 per cent between 2018 and 2023, this has been offset by changing patterns of GP work.

The number of GP training places was previously increased to 121, an increase of 86% since 2015/16. The number of places will be retained at this level for 2024/25.

Additional measures have been put in place to support primary care to adapt flexibly to increasing demand. These include focusing on increasing capacity to meet the demand from patients through, for example, reinforcing the GP workforce and increasing the range of healthcare professionals working in primary care through multidisciplinary teams.

My Department has worked with key stakeholders, to increase the exposure of undergraduates to General Practice; encourage more GP trainees; and ensure that there are sufficient GP training practices to meet demand and support GPs in training.

GP Fellowship Schemes are supporting recently qualified GPs to transition from the training environment to independent practice, with opportunities for personal and professional development.

The Attract, Recruit, Retain scheme supports recruitment of GPs in hard to recruit areas. Since its establishment in January 2023, 83 GP practices have applied and received approval in principle for funding under the scheme. 53 practices have applied and received final approval for payment in respect of a recruited GP.