‘GP clinics at breaking point’

He made the comments as negotiations between the central Department of Health and his union, the British Medical Association (BMA) broke down.

Dr Black, who is Chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland GP committee said there will be huge implications to proposed changes to GP contracts.

The Department of Health wants doctors to commit to extra work in return for a 1.5 per cent increase in GP practice funding.

Dr Black said: “The implications of the government’s new proposals for general practice are likely to be huge, and we will be examining the consequences of this threatened imposition so that we can fully inform the profession and public as soon as possible.

“There are serious question marks over whether some of the intended changes are based on sound clinical evidence or are practical or feasible.

“The UK government is being disingenuous in its presentation of how we have arrived at this point. GPs will be stunned and angered that the government is disregarding five months of detailed negotiations between the BMA and HSC Employers which was in its final stages just a couple of weeks ago. The government must urgently rethink its approach and return to our negotiated settlement that was so close to being concluded.”