To ask the Minister of Health what initiatives he is considering to relieve demand on GP services.

Initiatives to support GPs, drive transformation and deliver better care while decreasing bureaucracy and the pressure on GP services include:

The GP Induction and Refresher Scheme which supports GPs to safely return to general practice following a career break or time spent working abroad. It also supports the safe introduction of overseas GPs. At the end of January 2020, 8 doctors had completed the scheme, with a further 3 completing the scheme.

The GP Retainer Scheme which assists in the retention of GPs in primary care in Northern Ireland. At the end of January 2020, 22 doctors were currently on the GP Scheme.

The introduction of Advanced Nurse Practitioners who are able to undertake comprehensive assessment of patients, formulate diagnosis and negotiate a management plan including prescribing treatment, monitoring health outcomes and making onward referrals as appropriate.

There are currently 274 Practice based Pharmacists in place and all GP practices have access to their services and expertise, to support better medication management and prescribing for patients.

Training non-clinical staff to help take on tasks such as correspondence, clinical coding, the deployment of decision support systems and introduction of technology to improve the service to patients and help GPs better manage workload.

Increasing the number of GP training places available from 65 in 2015 to 111 in 2020 – a 70% increase.

We are reshaping primary care services. The roll-out of Multi-Disciplinary Teams is delivering new capacity and innovation into primary care, bringing services closer to our communities and improving access for all our citizens. We are delivering MDTs in every trust area, improving access to physiotherapy, mental health support and social workers. MDTs are a cornerstone of our plans to transform the health service and will make an important contribution to the long term sustainability of general practice.