The number of GP practices in Mid and East Antrim has fallen by a quarter over the past 12 years, while the total number of registered patients has risen, according to newly published General Medical Services statistics.

The borough had 28 practices in 2014 but only 21 by 2026, a reduction of 25 per cent. Over the same period, the patient roll grew from 139,184 to 148,754, meaning the average practice now cares for 7,084 patients compared with 4,971 in 2014, an increase of 42.5 per cent.

This decline is steeper than the Northern Ireland average. Across the region, GP practice numbers fell by 13.1 per cent, from 350 in 2014 to 304 in 2026, while registered patients increased by 8 per cent to just over two million. The average practice size in Northern Ireland rose to 6,838 patients.

Neighbouring council areas saw smaller reductions. Antrim and Newtownabbey recorded a 5.9 per cent drop, and Causeway Coast and Glens a 4 per cent fall. Patient registrations in those areas increased by 11.3 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively.

The GP headcount in Mid and East Antrim rose by 54.5 per cent to 136, giving the borough 91.4 GPs per 100,000 patients, above the regional average of 72.4. However, Dr Ursula Mason, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners in Northern Ireland, warned that headcount figures do not accurately reflect capacity because they are not based on whole-time equivalent working patterns.

Dr Mason also highlighted a real-terms funding squeeze. She stated that practice funding increased by only £2 per patient since 2024, a rise of around one per cent, while inflation was closer to three per cent. This meant GPs were being asked to do more with fewer real resources, she said, and the gap between demand and capacity would widen without significant investment.

Despite the reduction in practice numbers, 97.7 per cent of Northern Ireland's population lives within five miles of a GP practice.