The increase in the National Insurance contribution (NICS) for April will look at some Northern Ireland GP practices, if the government does not provide bail, according to a senior doctor.

The Royal College of GPS at Northern Ireland (RCGP) told Stormont’s Public Accounts Committee that the step could be “frightening”.

Employers currently pay a rate of 13.8% on the earnings of employees above the threshold of £ 9,100 per year.

In the budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that this rate will increase to 15% in April 2025, and the threshold will be reduced.

Dup MLA, Dianne Forcethe said that they have received information back from the Health Department that the cost of NICS to doctors, dentists and pharmacists in Northern Ireland could be around £ 35M.

Dr. of RCGP Ursula Mason told the committee: “Contracts will be handback without a doubt as the practices are already financially uncertain.

“The practices cannot go on the budget – we cannot do this. No one is coming to grant bail to an independent contractor practice.

“Bail-out is that the contract goes back. You either face financial risk and its results, or this contract is taken by someone else.

“National Insurance contribution can then be disastrous if not completed … It has the ability to destroy a lot of practices financially.”

He said that when a doctor heard of an exercise, which was forced to hand over his contract back to the Health Department, he was “holding his head in his hands” wondering if they would be next.

Dr. of British Medical Association Frances O’hagan told the committee that many GP practices were “teating on the shore” and if funding was not promoted, the bandh was faced.

He said that there was a fear that GPS would become “an endangered species” if more budgetary provision was not allocated for primary care.