A Banbridge doctors’ surgery has announced that due to a lack of funding they can no longer provide “complex wound dressings” without “compromising” their ability to deliver core General Practice services.
In a notice to patients, Banbridge Group Surgery explained the rationale behind the decision: “For some time now, we have received NO funding for the wound dressings that we have been managing over the years, which often involve lengthy appointments being needed over a longer period of time.
“We have tried over the past number of years to improve efficiencies in an attempt to continue offering this service to our patients. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts it has become unsustainable for us to continue with this service.”
The Surgery say that, as a result, their own practice – along with a number of other practices within the Southern Trust Area – have made the difficult decision to stop providing appointments for complex dressings.
Added the Surgery: “We understand that this news will be concerning for many of our patients, but due to increasing demands on our nursing team and the significant financial pressure on General Practice overall, we can no longer continue to provide services that are not funded, without compromising our ability to deliver core General Practice services.”
According to an article published by the British Medical Association, in July 2025 GPs in Northern Ireland began to take “collective action” in a bid to win more funding for general practice after reaching what had been called a “financial stalemate” with the Department of Health.
BMA Northern Ireland GPs committee chair, Dr Frances O’Hagan said it was a “last resort” and that an immediate and sustainable solution was needed.
Speaking in July, Dr O’Hagan said the referendum period that preceded the action saw a “massive increase BMA membership among GPs in Northern Ireland owing to the strength of feeling against the contract imposition”.
Added Dr O’Hagan: “We asked the department for an additional £39 per patient, per year. Instead, in this imposed contract for 2025/26, they have only given us an additional 50p per patient, per year.
“That is less than a penny per patient, per week to improve access. This is how much they value the service GPs provide and how much they value the care of our patients. It’s simply not enough.
“It will not stem the tide of contract hand-backs and the domino closure effect on nearby practices in communities throughout Northern Ireland. At the heart of all this, it works against improving access for our patients.”
From the week of July 28, GP partners could choose to take action on several fronts, including limiting patient consultations to the recommended 25 per day, switching off medicines optimisation software when prescribing (using clinical judgement instead), and refusing to complete unfunded paperwork, including patient registration paperwork verification.
They can also serve notice on voluntary activity requested by secondary care, and insist on referrals for specialist appointments where clinically appropriate.
From Wednesday October 1, will begin exercising their right to withdraw from voluntary activity requested by secondary care by referring patients requiring complex dressings to the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT).
The Surgery will continue to remove clips, stitches and staples following NHS surgeries.
Armagh I contacted the Southern Health and Social Care Trust for comment.
