Planned investment in primary care will create hundreds of
thousands of additional patient appointments in Northern Ireland,
Health Minister has stated.
The expansion of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Programme will
also help stabilise GP services.
The Minister today published an implementation plan for the MDT
Programme
A long-term health reform initiative, the MDT model introduces
new physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles into
general practice to work alongside the existing practice teams.
It will help shift services towards supporting good health and
social wellbeing.
The Minister said: “We can see that the MDT programme is
making a significant difference. In the areas it has already been
rolled out to, it delivered an additional 335,000 patient
consultations in 2024-25.
“We can double that appointments total over the next four
years and then push it up to the million mark within eight years.
That ambitious projection is included in the implementation
plan.
“The MDT programme also involves a range of localised
programmes with the Community and Voluntary Sector. During
2024-25 this enabled over 400 local projects, supporting more
than 17,000 patients.
“The implementation plan also sets out compelling
evidence that the MDT programme helps stabilise pressurised GP
services and reduce referrals to hospitals.
“Progress on implementing the MDT model has been
constrained by funding and staff availability. However, this year
I have been able to secure £61m of Executive transformation
funding to push ahead with expansion.”
Mr Nesbitt continued: “I know GPs are frustrated at the
current serious pressures and the budget shortfall across health
and social care this year.
“But I can assure them that I am determined to deliver on
a neighbourhood centred system of health and social care. I want
to involve and empower GPs at every step of this
process.
“As part of that, I would again encourage the BMA's GP
leadership to take up my offer of detailed talks on a new GP
contract for next year. The fact that available funding this year
falls far short of all our requirements should not stop us
working together on longer-term solutions.
“My focus on successfully expanding the MDT programme is
proof of my commitment to expanding primary care overall. We need
to deliver more services closer to communities and help people
stay well. The contribution of GPs is central to that.”
The MDT programme is currently complete or in development in the
Down, Derry, West Belfast, Causeway, Newry, Ards and North Down
GP Federation areas. The £61m Executive transformation
funding will enable it to be expanded to a further five areas:
North Belfast, South West (Fermanagh/ West Tyrone) and East
Antrim, Craigavon, and Armagh and Dungannon.
As set out in the implementation plan, all GP Federation areas in
Northern Ireland will see MDT implementation commence within the
next 5 years. Full roll-out is projected to take around eight
years.
Notes to Editors:
1. The MDT implementation plan for April 2025-33 can be read
here: Multi-Disciplinary Teams in
Primary Care Implementation Plan | Department of Health
2. The document states that implementation of the programme will
proceed in two phases:
- Phase 1 will run from 2025/26 to 2028/29 and will see MDT
completed in the seven existing GP Federation areas where
implementation has already commenced, and expansion to a further
5 Federation areas in line with the schedule announced in 2022.
- Phase 2 will run for a further four years from 2029/30 and
will see MDT completed in the remaining 5 GP Federation areas.
