Health Minister Visits Mullaghbawn GP Practice

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has visited Mullaghbawn GP Practice to see first-hand how a neighbourhood model of care is being delivered to rural communities. His visit follows the Southern Trust  taking on temporary responsibility for three GP practices helping to secure services for around 18,000 patients.

The three practices Mullaghbawn, Kilkeel and Rathkeeland in Crossmaglen had each faced difficulties before the Southern Trust stepped in, working alongside the Strategic Planning and Performance Group to ensure that GP primary care services were maintained for patients across South Armagh and South Down.

Each of the three practices continues to offer GP, nursing and pharmacy services, with Multi-Disciplinary Teams also on hand to provide social work, physiotherapy and mental health support where needed. Work is ongoing to increase appointment availability and to introduce new developments in partnership with community and voluntary organisations.

Welcoming the Minister to Mullaghbawn, Director of Adult Community Services for the Southern Trust Brian Beattie said: "With around 5,400 patients and as the first, often only point of contact for many local people, Mullaghbawn GP Practice is really demonstrating a neighbourhood model of care in action.

"The practice team recognise the important role they have in addressing preventable illness, health inequalities and issues like addiction and loneliness, which are a reality for many older people and those living in rural farming communities."

Beattie added that staff work closely with Multi-Disciplinary Teams and community partners such as the Rural Health Partnership, with a focus on early intervention and linking patients to prevention and social prescribing programmes. The goal, he said, is a joined-up, person-centred approach that reduces the risk of problems escalating which could impact on a patient’s independence and require wider involvement of support services.

At Mullaghbawn specifically, a number of developments are under way. These include a project focused on the health and wellbeing of older patients, a pharmacist-led programme to improve medicines management, a new heart failure service, proactive telephone calls to identify and support patients aged over 75, and measures aimed at reducing unnecessary Emergency Department visits for those with high levels of need.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: "I was delighted to visit Mullaghbawn and to meet the staff and visit the surgery. General Practice continues to be a pivotal part of health and social care in Northern Ireland. I want primary care to be the key delivery element of our shift left into a Neighbourhood model of healthcare."

The Minister also acknowledged the particular challenges faced by practices in rural areas, adding: "I appreciate GP Practices in south Armagh can be vulnerable due to the rural location, so I want to thank the Southern Trust for taking on the management of the practices in Mullaghbawn and Crossmaglen which has helped to stabilise services in the area."