New contractor appointed for Racecourse Medical Centre

The Department of Health has confirmed that a new GP contractor has been appointed to provide GP services to the patients of Racecourse Medical Centre in Shantallow, Derry.

The new contractor will be in place from June 1, 2023.

The new contractor is Dr Ravinder Kumar, a GP who has experience running two GP practices in Manchester.

BREAKING: Racecourse Medical saved

'Patients can be assured no disruption to GP access' - Cllr Emmet Doyle

It follows extensive work to identify a new GP contractor to take over the practice, following the termination of the contract by the previous contractor in November 2022.

All 4,799 patients of Racecourse Medical Centre have been automatically registered with the new practice.

Derry City and Strabane District Council's SDLP group leader, Cllr Brian Tierney has also welcomed the appointment the new GP contractor for Racecourse Medical Centre.

He said: “News that the Department of Health has found a new contractor for Racecourse Medical Centre will be a massive relief to people in the Shantallow area and everyone who relies on the practice for their healthcare.

“When concerns around the future of the practice first emerged people here were genuinely fearful that they would lose a service they have relied on for years and I’m delighted that won’t be the case.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the people in this area who made their feelings perfectly clear about how much the medical centre means to them, campaigning hard to protect these services. I’ve no doubt that their efforts helped to save this practice and I’d also like to thank the department for their efforts in sourcing the new contractor Dr Ravinder Kumar, who I’m sure will receive a warm welcome from people in Shantallow.

“Nearly 5,000 people depend on this practice to provide them with day to day healthcare and for many moving somewhere else would have been unthinkable. People here have built up relationships with the doctors, nurses and other staff at Racecourse Medical Centre and the thought of losing that community spirit was difficult for patients. It’s important that a time when our health service is under so much pressure that we don’t lose the services we do have and it’s a huge boost that this practice will continue its good work in the community to benefit people here.”