It comes after funding was withdrawn from general practices in 2023, leading to services including vasectomies, dermatology and menopause clinics having to be provided in hospitals instead.

The East Antrim MLA has said: “It’s so important that people have easy access to family planning services, and I’m grateful, after personally advocating for the reversal of last October’s decision, to now see the return of vasectomy services to GP practices. Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their own fertility.

“The decision to end the funding of primary care vasectomy services was a massively short-sighted decision, which resulted in men having to decide to either go private at a cost of up to over £700, or go onto extremely long waiting lists for an in-patient procedure.

“Providing more of these kinds of services in the community is undoubtedly better for both patients and healthcare staff, and doing so helps reduce pressure on hospital waiting lists. It’s evident that GPs are keen to extend their clinical skills and provide such services, as long as they are funded to do so.

“I would hope, going forward, that the minister reinstates funding for the full range of services that were previously being delivered as part of the GP Elective Care Services scheme.”