The Northern Ireland general practitioners committee (NIGPC) is a standing committee of the BMA and represents all general practitioners working in Northern Ireland. It considers and acts on matters affecting those engaged in general practice in Northern Ireland, including contractual matters.
Our priorities
- Indemnity: to secure an indemnity solution for all GPs in Northern Ireland through a state-backed scheme.
- Multi-disciplinary teams: rollout funding for the recruitment and premises necessary for MDTs across Northern Ireland.
- A new relationship with trusts: GPs need to return unfunded work back to the trusts who are responsible for it and focus on the work that only GPs can do.
- Fixing funding: continue the QOF freeze with a view to moving this funding into core practice funding and an immediate uplift in the GMS statement of financial entitlements.
- Premises: trusts or the Department to take ownership of GP premises and develop an agreed process for the review of service charges including a service level agreement.
- Incentivising partnership: reduce bureaucracy, make greater use of federations for care and management at scale, and improve the GMS contract.
- Training: incentivise GP training, ensure full training uptake, and focus on ensuring those who train in Northern Ireland stay here to work as a qualified GP.
- Working safely: safe working should be no more than 25 per day, which is widely evidenced in the rest of Europe. We will work with the Royal College of GPs to define safe working limits and will expect the Department to recognise and to endorse these.
- A vision for the future: alongside a newly defined core GP offer, the Department of Health along with GP federations must examine what primary care services can be delivered at scale, easing the pressure on practices.
- Read our plan to save general practice.
Our people
Chair: Alan Stout
Deputy chair: Frances O’Hagan
Dr Ursula Brennan
Dr Johnny Burns
Dr Conan Castles*
Dr James Crothers
Dr Tracey Cruickshanks
Dr Catherine Curran
Dr Carla Devlin
Dr Joe Dugan*
Dr Nicola Herron
Dr Ian Kernohan
Dr Donagh MacDonagh
Dr Stuart MacDonald
Dr Donna Mace
Dr Allen McCullough
Dr Arnie McDowell*
Dr Michael McKenna
Dr Paul Molloy
Dr Conor Moore
Dr Ciaran Mullan
Dr Frances O’Hagan
Dr David Ross
Dr Susan Sproule
Dr Patrick Stirling
Dr Alan Stout
Dr Fionnuala Vernon
Dr Naoimh White
Dr Andrew Wilson*
GPC (UK) Representative
Chair of Northern Ireland council
Chair/rep of Northern Ireland consultants committee
Chair/rep of Northern Ireland junior doctors committee
Chair/rep of Northern Ireland medical academics staff committee
Chair/rep of Northern Ireland medical students committee
Chair/rep of Northern Ireland staff, associate specialists and specialty doctors committee
GP registrar
Dental representative – Dr Andrew Nicholl
Non-voting observer from the RCGP(NI) – Dr Ursula Mason
Non-voting co-optees –
Dr Eimear McLaverty
Dr Laura McDonnell
Dr Daniel Murtagh
Dr Elizabeth Reaz
*Sessional Doctor Representatives
Take part in one of our free courses designed to give you the right skills to:
- break down equality and inclusion bias (CPD-accredited)
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Subcommittees
The role of the NIGPC domestic negotiations team is: to discuss matters of importance at regional level; to provide an impetus for individual LMCs to negotiate for optimum terms with the HSC board; to enhance the LMCs influence in their dealings with the HSC board for the betterment of all GPs in Northern Ireland and to deal with NIGPC business between full committee meetings.
The NIGPC Defence Fund Limited is a company limited by guarantee. The NIGPDF/NIGPC finance subcommittee comprises the chair and deputy chair of NIGPC, the treasurer of NIGPC (who chairs the subcommittee) and the chair and assistant secretary/treasurer of each of the four local medical committees. The subcommittee meets twice a year to look after all aspects of the committee’s finances, in particular: investment of voluntary levy income; LMC accounts and business plans/bids; honoraria payments for NIGPC and LMC officers; honoraria and mileage payments for meeting attendance; Cameron fund; GPDF and NILMC conference.
Our meetings
The NIGPC meets four times a year to discuss the latest issues for GPs in Northern Ireland and to develop policy and strategy. Only members of the NIGPC may participate in votes; however, general practitioners who are BMA members are welcome to attend in a non-voting capacity as part of the BMA committee visitor scheme.
Meeting dates:
- Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 10 am - hybrid at The Mount, Belfast
- Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 10 am – virtual
- Wednesday 24 April 2024 at 10 am – hybrid, venue tbc
- Wednesday 19 June 2024 at 10 am – virtual
For more information about NIGPC meetings, email us or call 02890 269666.
How to join
There are many advantages to becoming involved in our committees. You can actively influence BMA policy-making and negotiations, represent your colleagues' voices and develop your leadership skills.
Each committee has a few routes to becoming an elected member. In the case of NIGPC, this is:
- Seats/term - every three years, all LMCs in Northern Ireland elect representatives for a three-session term. Seats are distributed between LMCs in the following proportions:
-
one member from each LMC with a constituency of 50 general practitioners or less; for every additional 50 general practitioners in a constituency, one additional member is elected
-
one additional LMC representative if an existing representative from that area is elected chair of NIGPC
-
one additional sessional GP representative from each LMC.
- Timeline - elections are run by the LMCs and are usually held in April.
- Eligibility - all GPs who are BMA members are eligible to stand in this election if they live in the relevant areas. All GPs can vote in this election.
To join NIGPC via LMCs, contact your local LMC for information on any open elections.
Elections
Elections to NIGPC via LMCs are now closed.
The next elections will take place in 2024.
Get in touch
If you are interested in finding out more about the work of the NIGPC, please email us or call 02890 269666.
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