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01/04/2004
Health care improvement set to deliver results
From today Northern Ireland's GPs and general practitioners are able to offer a higher quality of care.
This is due to the implementation from 1st April of a new general medical services contract which will allow GPs and general practices to focus on delivering properly resourced, high quality care to their patients.
Although patients will notice little difference immediately, they should, if Area Health Board funding is made available, be able to avail of services offered from the locality of their general practice that have traditionally been provided by hospitals.
These include:
"This new contract not only offers GPs the opportunity of better remuneration but it allows them more freedom in choosing the services on offer within their practice and, if they so choose, removes from them the responsibility for providing out-of-hours services to patients. This is very attractive to doctors with young families."
The new contract, negotiated by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation, on behalf of the Departments of Health throughout the UK, introduces into general medical services an unprecedented level of funding.
(MB)
This is due to the implementation from 1st April of a new general medical services contract which will allow GPs and general practices to focus on delivering properly resourced, high quality care to their patients.
Although patients will notice little difference immediately, they should, if Area Health Board funding is made available, be able to avail of services offered from the locality of their general practice that have traditionally been provided by hospitals.
These include:
- More specialised services for patients with multiple sclerosis
- More specialised sexual health services
- Maternity care
- Minor injury services
- Enhanced care of the homeless
- Patients suffering from drug or alcohol misuse
- Specialised care of patients with depression
"This new contract not only offers GPs the opportunity of better remuneration but it allows them more freedom in choosing the services on offer within their practice and, if they so choose, removes from them the responsibility for providing out-of-hours services to patients. This is very attractive to doctors with young families."
The new contract, negotiated by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation, on behalf of the Departments of Health throughout the UK, introduces into general medical services an unprecedented level of funding.
(MB)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Any rain along the north coast soon clearing north to give a dry evening. Further rain will move south and east in the early hours, occasionally heavy. Remaining mild. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
