New contract will make it 'easier' to get GP appointments

BBC News NI health correspondent Marie-Louise ConnollyNorthern Ireland needs more GPs to deliver much needed appointments for the public.Acquiring more GPs needs considerable long-term investment and what the department has announced appears to fall short of what general practice has said is required.Recently GPs told Stormont's Health Committee that general practice in Northern Ireland received less than 6% of the entire health budget.Dr Frances O'Hagan said that wasn't nearly enough to fund the number of doctors required in each practice to meet growing demand.While she said 10% of the health budget was the minimum they could accept - 15% was a longer term ambition.Those figures translate closer to £80m per year as opposed to the £20m allocated by the health minister,Clearly what is good about the funding announcement is that it ends a 12 month dispute between the department and GPs.At least, if required, new negotiations can begin again.