Debate contribution: GP Practices: Multidisciplinary Teams
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 13 January 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- GP Practices: Multidisciplinary Teams
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5316197
Read the official Assembly record
Text
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 3 and 14 together. The multidisciplinary team model remains central to stabilising primary care services to ensure that they can continue to deliver high-quality care to our communities now and in the future. In line with the Department's commitment to the wider transformation agenda, £61 million is being secured for the MDT programme over the next four years. Recognising the significant staffing and funding pressures across Health, roll-out will follow a two-phase approach over the next seven to eight years. Phase 1, which has started and runs to 2028-29, will complete MDT implementation in the seven existing GP Federation areas and expand it to five additional areas this year, including north Belfast and the south-west. The federation in north Belfast comprises 21 GP practices, serving 114,353 patients. Plans are well advanced to introduce MDTs in 18 practices this financial year, with the remainder next year, subject to premises readiness. Selection was informed by premises suitability, clinical need, ICT preparedness and risk of contract hand-back. Over four years, 11·4 whole-time equivalents of each role — first-contact physios, social workers, social work assistants and mental health practitioners — will be employed to reduce health inequalities and improve well-being through accessible, high-quality services. In the south-west, the federation covers 20 practices serving 129,044 patients. Thirteen practices are scheduled to adopt MDTs this financial year, with the rest next year, subject to infrastructure readiness. Over four years, 12·9 whole-time equivalents of each professional role will be recruited. A hub-based delivery model is also under consideration, with services being delivered from the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, Erne Health Centre and Maple GP surgery. That approach aims to ensure equity of access —
288 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.83).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.83 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.86 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.14 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:17 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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