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A health trust has been appointed the temporary contractor to manage GP services at a County Armagh practice at risk of closure.

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust will temporarily take over the management of the Maphoner Surgery in Mullaghbawn.

The Department of Health asked it to do so after the current GP's retirement.

From 1 July, the trust will support all current general medical services in the practice.

All 5,300 patients of Maphoner Surgery will continue to be registered with the practice and letters will be issued to them all later this week.

The Department of Health said it would continue to work to secure a permanent GP contractor for the practice over the coming months.

In May, six GP surgeries in County Armagh wrote to the department to voice concern over the risk of closure of the Mullaghbawn practice.

Some 14 GP practices in Northern Ireland have made a decision to hand their contract back to the department in the past year.