Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland

15/04/2026

🩺 First Five GPs in NI – we want to hear from you!

To help shape our work, RCGP Northern Ireland is hosting an engagement session in April, specially tailored for First Five GP colleagues, and we want to hear your views.

The sessions will explore:

what you value most about being part of the profession
the unique role you play in patient care and communities
the challenges currently affecting GP work, plus any unique challenges facing First Five GPs
what must be protected as the health system evolves
how a changing landscape could reshape the role of General Practice
📅 When: Wednesday 29 April 2026
🕐 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
💻 Virtual on Zoom
📍 Open to First Five GPs in Northern Ireland

Please RSVP by emailing: chairni@rcgp.org.uk

11/04/2026

Last chance to register for our Pathway to Partnership webinar.
Register now: https://tinyurl.com/RCGPPartnership

08/04/2026

🩺 First Five GPs in NI – we want to hear from you!

To help shape our work, RCGP Northern Ireland is hosting an engagement session in April, specially tailored for First Five GP colleagues, and we want to hear your views.

The sessions will explore:

what you value most about being part of the profession
the unique role you play in patient care and communities
the challenges currently affecting GP work, plus any unique challenges facing First Five GPs
what must be protected as the health system evolves
how a changing landscape could reshape the role of General Practice
📅 When: Wednesday 29 April 2026
🕐 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
💻 Virtual on Zoom
📍 Open to First Five GPs in Northern Ireland

Please RSVP by emailing: chairni@rcgp.org.uk

05/04/2026

Join us for a CPD webinar on managing obesity and weight loss medications in General Practice.
Register now: https://tinyurl.com/RCGPNIObesity

01/04/2026

We are currently recruiting for two vacancies on the Northern Ireland Council - an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Representative and an International Medical Graduate Representative.
Click the links below to apply:
https://tinyurl.com/RCGPNIEDI
https://tinyurl.com/RCGPNIIMG

31/03/2026

“Our health and social care service is at a critical juncture. There is a real opportunity for reset within our health system to meet the evolving needs and growing demand of our population.

RCGP NI welcomes the focus on enhancing care in communities and early intervention, but the success of a neighbourhood model will depend on a strong and stable general practice.” – Dr Ursula Mason

Following today’s publication of the Department of Health (NI)’s Neighbourhood Model of Care Policy Framework, RCGP Northern Ireland has responded to the proposals and their implications for general practice.

🔗 Read more:

The Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland (RCGP NI) has highlighted that building any successful new model of care is dependent on having a stable, well- funded and well-supported General Practice service.  

27/03/2026

Our webinar on 30 April 2026 will give a real-world look at GP partnership, from workload to financial planning. Register now: https://tinyurl.com/RCGPPartnership

27/03/2026

We were delighted to be joined last weekend by our later career and retired members for a walking tour of Derry / Londonderry followed by a three-course lunch! The tour and lunch were fantastic, and it was wonderful to catch up with so many colleagues. Thank you all so much for coming, and thank you to our LCARM Representative Dr John O'Kelly for your hard work!🩺

26/03/2026

Yesterday, our Chair, Dr Ursula Mason, was delighted to take part in a roundtable discussion as part of the All-Party Group on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling.

The APG is calling for gambling to be recognised as a public health issue.

Dr Mason highlighted that it’s vital that barriers are broken down to best support patients to access the support they need.

Dr Mason highlighted the role GPs often play in breaking down barriers to the system in supporting their patients.

Retaining self -referral into services is important and it’s vital that the wider family of those suffering with gambling additions are also supported.

25/03/2026

Last chance to register for our evening Q&A Webinar with the Department of Health (NI)’s Permanent Secretary, Mike Farrar.

The session will focus on GP pressures, GP strategy, and the proposed Neighbourhood Model – the session will give you the opportunity to ask your questions directly.

📅 Date: Thursday 26 March
🕖 Time: 7:00 – 8.30 PM
📍 Location: Zoom

To RSVP, please email chairni@rcgp.org.uk

24/03/2026

Northern Ireland is still the only part of the UK and Ireland without a commissioned mental health service for doctors

Doctors in NI face some of the highest levels of burnout, moral distress and workplace pressure in the UK, yet they have no dedicated, confidential practitioner health service to turn to.

Today, Adam Kay, author of the multi-million copy bestseller 'This is Going to Hurt' and Patron of the charity Doctors in Distress, took time out from his busy schedule to join RCGP Northern Ireland in Belfast to highlight why this must change.

Supporting the people who care for our population is essential.

It’s time to deliver the mental health support our healthcare workforce urgently needs and deserves.

We are calling for a fully commissioned service that protects the wellbeing of doctors and all healthcare professionals.



Doctors in Distress

Photo credit: Phil Smyth

23/03/2026

GPs continue to deliver high quality care in the face of escalating demand and chronic underfunding

RCGP NI Chair, Dr Ursula Mason said:

"As the professional voice for GPs across Northern Ireland, RCGP NI recognises that clear, responsive communication between departments, public representatives and partner organisations is the essential foundation to progress meaningful change within our health service.

The evidence presented to the Public Accounts Committee during its inquiry into 'Access to General Practice in NI' reflects what GPs and their teams experience every day, a system that is under extraordinary strain, with demand rising far beyond capacity.

GPs want exactly what our patients want - access that is seamless and timely. However, GP practices cannot absorb increasing levels of patient need while operating under chronic underinvestment and escalating pressures.

The stabilisation of General Practice is absolutely vital.

RCGP NI welcomes the Public Accounts Committee’s call for “urgency, clarity and credible delivery timelines” from the Department of Health (NI) on delivering the support needed for General Practice to strengthen care for our patients.

However, the current situation is not the result of “failings”, shortcomings, or inaction by GPs, who continue to deliver high‑quality, patient‑centred care in the face of escalating demand, more complex patient needs, and workforce shortages.

General Practice receives just 5% of the NI Health Budget yet delivers over 90% of patient care. It’s time for this to change and for General Practice to be funded proportionally.

Without addressing the fundamental, long‑standing barriers facing General Practice, such as including inadequate funding, workforce shortages, and the absence of a costed General Practice strategy, progress will remain limited.

It is also vital that GPs are involved directly in the decision-making processes which impact General Practice. It’s especially important that GPs are at the centre of any work that may change how our GP services are delivered in the future.

General practice is the cornerstone of our health service, and a strong partnership between GPs, their teams and policymakers is essential if we are to safeguard it for the future.

RCGP NI will continue to work constructively and collaboratively with the Department of Health (NI), the Public Accounts Committee and other stakeholders, to advocate for a well‑resourced General Practice that prioritises patient needs, reflects the realities on the ground and is fit for the future.”

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