The Ulster Unionist Party has criticised suggestions that Northern Ireland should replace its NHS-based GP system with an all-island primary care model, arguing the change would undermine the founding principles of the health service.

"The suggestion that Northern Ireland should abandon its NHS-based GP model in favour of the Republic's medical card system ignores the broader realities of healthcare delivery and the foundational principles of our health service." — a party spokesperson said.

"The NHS was built on the principle of universal access, free at the point of delivery. To flirt with models that involve means-testing or payment for access is to flirt with inequality. As Aneurin Bevan, the architect of the NHS, rightly said: 'No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of a lack of means. "Health inequalities in Northern Ireland are not simply the result of GP contracts, they are deeply rooted in socioeconomic disadvantage, educational disparity, housing conditions, and regional investment gaps. To suggest that a change in administrative structure alone would solve these complex issues is reductive and misleading.

"Moreover, the Republic of Ireland's system, while different, is not without its own challenges. Many patients still face out-of-pocket costs, and access is not universally free. The idea that importing this model would automatically improve outcomes in Northern Ireland is not supported by evidence.

"The Ulster Unionist Party stands firmly behind our Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, who has already delivered a long-overdue pay award for health workers, including an additional £12 million for GPs and their staff. This is real progress support for those on the front lines.

"What patients need now is stability, not political stunts, or divisive rhetoric. The Ulster Unionist Party will never support the privatisation of primary care. We remain committed to defending the NHS and ensuring that every citizen, regardless of income or postcode, has access to high-quality healthcare."