It follows the recent decision by the Mike Nesbitt to impose a financial settlement that had been overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot of British Medical Association (BMA) GPs.
The union said its demands included urgent money to address the rise in costs as a result of increased national insurance contributions and a 1% uplift in core funding.
Mr Nesbitt offered a package of £9.5m additional funding to GPs and said he was “disappointed” BMA negotiators recommended that members should reject the offer.
He added that the money he was offering had been hard to source and the time for “general open-ended discussions is over”.
NI BMA Chair Dr Alan Stout
At the weekend, chair of the BMA’s NI council Alan Stout, said that 10 years ago he had never heard of private GPs, “now I don’t only hear about it every single day, but I hear it discussed by many as a very realistic strategy”.
Yesterday John Diamond, a GP at Garden Street Surgery Magherafelt and Bellaghy Medical Centre, publicly shared a letter addressed to the health minister, criticising his approach to general practice.
In his letter Dr Diamond said: “It was with increasing dismay and anger that I have watched your complete disrespect and disregard for general practice in your recent words and deeds.
“I have been a full-time GP partner for over 25 years in my hometown and have devoted my work and life to the NHS.
“I have many family and friends who are patients in our practice and I have had to try to do my best to care for them in a failing system as I feel free at the point of need was a worthwhile thing to fight for. Your words have changed that.
“Your department has used our sense of loyalty to our patients against us. We are the only part of the system that works within budget with no deficit despite being the worst funded on these islands.”
He added: “I had thought that I would finish my career within the NHS but it is increasingly clear that general practice is only going one way and that is into some sort of private system and I can assure you my younger colleagues are actively planning this route.”
The Department of Health said total investment in GP services this year will be more than £414m, including pay uplifts from last year, recently announced investments in MDTs, plus investment of £2.9m in GP Elective Care.
The minister has also stated his intention to see the pay recommendations from the recent DDRB report implemented for 2025/26 in full, which will see a further £11.5m invested in GMS.
DoH said it remains committed to engaging with GPs on how General Practice can play an integral role in the delivery of primary care.
“The department and minister remain committed to the principle that GP services should remain free to all patients at the point of access and do not agree that the privatisation is the way forward for GPs,” a statement concluded.