To ask the Minister of Health (i) whether any assessment has been made of (i) the number of residents in North Down currently not registered with a General Practitioner's surgery; and (ii) to detail any action his Department has taken, in the last 12 months, to increase access to General Practitioners in North Down.

(i) As at 31 March 2026, the number of patients registered with a GP in the North Down Assembly Area was 97,336.

The latest Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) mid-year population estimate for North Down is 93,797, as at 30 June 2024. At the same date, there were 97,042 patients registered with a GP whose recorded home address was in North Down. This indicates that the number of registered GP patients was approximately 3.5% higher than the estimated resident population.

A number of factors may contribute to this difference. These include patients who remain on GP lists following death, emigration or a change of address; individuals who are temporarily dual-registered following a return from a GP practice in Great Britain; frontier workers who are registered with a Northern Ireland GP; patients who have not attended a practice and therefore have not been de-registered; university students from outside Northern Ireland who register with a local GP; and individuals who do not meet the definition of a usual resident used in the Census, which forms the basis of population estimates.

(ii) General Practitioners are independent contractors and clinical professionals responsible for delivering General Medical Services. Decisions relating to the day-to-day management of GP practices, including appointment systems and the balance between telephone, online and face-to-face consultations, are made locally by individual practices, taking account of clinical need and the resources available.

Improving access to General Practice services remains a key priority for my Department. Significant funding has been provided to help practices respond to growing demand for primary care services, and a range of initiatives continues to support improvements in service delivery and patient access. This includes the publication of the Making All Contacts Count best practice guidance, which assists practices in optimising workflows, managing patient demand effectively and making greater use of technology.

In addition, work is progressing on the development of a new model of Neighbourhood Care, alongside a refreshed Vision for General Practice. These programmes are designed to strengthen primary and community care services, support closer multidisciplinary working and improve access to care closer to patients' homes.