Primary care is an essential part of the overall health provision offering in Northern Ireland and it is essential that people have access and confidence in the long-term sustainability of their GP practice.

The viability of Bannview Medical Practice in Portadown has been rumbling on for several years. The long-term problems at Bannview are well documented and it is regrettable that a sustainable model does not appear to have been found that provides the certainty of care that those registered with the practice deserve and require.

It is absolutely clear that a dispersal of the practice's 5,000 patients is not an option - only as an absolute last resort. There would be no guarantee for the patients that they would get a place in the Craigavon area, let alone the Portadown Health Centre – it could be much further afield.