GPs in Northern Ireland have elected Dr Alan Stout as their new BMA Northern Ireland GP Committee chair.
He takes over the role from Dr Tom Black, who during his seven-year tenure began the process of GPs handing in undated resignations after the profession voted to walk away from the NHS.
Dr Stout, a GP in east Belfast, has been a member of NIGPC for 12 years and deputy chair for seven.
In an interview with Pulse, he said one of his first priorities was to get a deal on premises that followed the model of that in the Scottish contract.
He said: ‘I am honoured to be elected as the new chair of NIGPC.
‘My predecessor, Tom Black, has worked tirelessly, and in the face of challenging economic and political circumstances, to try and improve primary care in Northern Ireland.
‘I am looking forward to building on his work, in particular the development of multidisciplinary teams across Northern Ireland, which I believe offer a real chance to improve workload for GPs and help make sure patients are seen in a timely fashion.’
He added that while the crisis in general practice had been stabilised they would need to redouble efforts to secure core funding for general practice.
