In a joint letter to the health minister, NHS dental, medical, pharmacy, and optometry providers have called on the Northern Ireland Executive to make the case to the UK government for the protection of these vital services from increases in national insurance contributions.
Many of these providers, commissioned to deliver NHS primary care services in Northern Ireland on behalf of the Department of Health, operate as small businesses and are subject to this UK government policy change.
In a joint statement from the four bodies, the British Dental Association, Community Pharmacy NI, the British Medical Association (NI) and Optometry NI, said, “Medical, pharmacy, dental and optometry providers are the front door to the health service for families across Northern Ireland and vital for the transformation of care.
“Yet these services are under extreme financial pressure, resulting in the closure of general practices and community pharmacies, the most rapid shrinkage of NHS dentistry anywhere in the UK and reduced access to NHS optometry.
"Without adequate protection from UK government policy changes, the precarious position of Family Practitioner Services in Northern Ireland will deteriorate further.
“It is now an urgent imperative for the Northern Ireland Executive to make the case to the UK government for the protection of primary care or risk the collapse of these vital services in communities across Northern Ireland.”