To ask the Minister of Health (i) whether any assessment has been made of the impact of increasing GP workload on patient access to appointments; (ii) whether any assessment has been made of the sustainability of current workload levels within general practice; and (iii) to detail any engagement his Department has had with GP representative bodies in relation to increasing workload pressures in primary care.

My priority has been, and continues to be, to ensure that patients can continue to access safe, high quality, sustainable GP services when they need to.

Investment of £61m over a 5-year period has been announced to support the wider rollout of the Primary Care MDT model which will provide access to a wider range of services in Primary Care and will help stabilise GP services.

To support GPs in improving service delivery, my Department has issued a best practice guide, ‘Making All Contacts Count’, which supports Practices to optimise workflow, manage patient demand and make effective use of technology.

In addition, work continues to progress the development of a new model of Neighbourhood Care together with a Vision for General Practice. This work will strengthen primary and community care, promote closer multidisciplinary working and improve access to services closer to home.

My Department engages regularly with representatives of the General Practice profession to understand operational pressures affecting Practices.

This includes negotiations with Northern Ireland General Practitioners Committee on the GMS Contract.

We want to ensure that a General Medical Services contract is in place that is fit for future purpose and can better meet the changing environment and context in primary care.

Alongside wider primary care reform, we will continue to work with partners across Health and Social Care to support sustainable General Practice services and improve access for patients.