{"id":1270784,"date":"2022-12-28T10:15:51","date_gmt":"2022-12-28T10:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/28\/out-of-hours-gp-services-in-northern-ireland-overwhelmed\/"},"modified":"2022-12-28T10:15:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T10:15:51","slug":"out-of-hours-gp-services-in-northern-ireland-overwhelmed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/28\/out-of-hours-gp-services-in-northern-ireland-overwhelmed\/","title":{"rendered":"Out-of-hours GP services in Northern Ireland &#8216;overwhelmed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<style scoped=\"\"><![CDATA[\n\n\/* custom css *\/\n.tdi_105{\n                    vertical-align: baseline;\n                }.tdi_105 > .wpb_wrapper,\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_105 > .wpb_wrapper > .tdc-elements{\n\t\t\t\t    display: block;\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_105 > .wpb_wrapper > .tdc-elements{\n\t\t\t\t    width: 100%;\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_105 > .wpb_wrapper > .vc_row_inner{\n\t\t\t\t    width: 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                      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/126372956_gpgetty.jpg\"   alt=\"\" title=\"126372956_gpgetty.jpg\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n                                    <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- A generated by theme --> <\/p>\n<p><style><![CDATA[\n\n\/* inline tdc_css att *\/\n\n.tdi_107{\npadding-bottom:20px !important;\n}\n\n\/* phone *\/\n@media (max-width: 767px)\n{\n.tdi_107{\nmargin-right:-20px !important;\nmargin-left:-20px !important;\npadding-right:20px !important;\npadding-left:20px !important;\n}\n}\n\n]]><\/style>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\/* custom css *\/\n.tdi_107.td-a-rec{\n\t\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_107 .td-element-style{\n\t\t\t\t\tz-index: -1;\n\t\t\t\t}\n\n\/* phone *\/\n@media (max-width: 767px){\n.tdi_107.td-a-rec-img img{\n\t\t\t\t    max-width: 300px;\n\t\t\t\t    width: 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         .tdi_108 .tdb-block-inner > p{\n\t\t\t        font-family:Roboto !important;font-size:15px !important;line-height:1.5 !important;font-weight:400 !important;\n\t\t        }.tdi_108 .tdb-block-inner blockquote p{\n\t\t\t        font-family:Roboto !important;font-size:24px !important;line-height:1 !important;font-style:normal !important;\n\t\t        }\n}\n\n\/* phone *\/\n@media (max-width: 767px){\n.tdi_108,\n                .tdi_108 > p,\n                .tdi_108 .tdb-block-inner > p{\n\t\t\t        font-family:Roboto !important;font-size:15px !important;line-height:1.5 !important;font-weight:400 !important;\n\t\t        }.tdi_108 .tdb-block-inner blockquote p{\n\t\t\t        font-family:Roboto !important;font-size:20px !important;line-height:1 !important;font-style:normal !important;\n\t\t        }.tdi_108 .wp-caption-text,\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_108 figcaption{\n\t\t\t        font-family:Roboto !important;font-size:11px !important;line-height:1.2 !important;font-style:normal !important;\n\t\t        }\n}\n]]><\/style>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">It has been the most difficult Christmas on record for out-of-hours GP services, a senior doctor has said.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Northern Ireland Chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Tom Black, said record numbers of patients were attending GP services.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Dr Black said emergency departments have also been very busy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">On Tuesday the Western Trust warned there were more than 100 people waiting to be seen at its emergency department and others waiting to be admitted. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Similar warnings were issued by the Southern and Belfast trusts on Monday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The Southern Trust said its out-of-hours department was prioritising urgent calls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"unordered-list-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1o5f7ft-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li>Out-of-hours GPs struggle with hundreds of calls<\/li>\n<li>Hospital bed pressures \u2018worse than during Covid\u2019 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">On Christmas Eve, Western Urgent Care received 640 calls \u2013 up from 158 calls last year, Dr Black said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Speaking to the BBC\u2019s Good Morning Ulster programme, he said the heath service had been overwhelmed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cIt has been for the last two months,\u201d he said. \u201cSince September we\u2019ve really struggled to keep things going.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 id=\"Prioritising-patients\" class=\"ssrcss-y2fd7s-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\"><span role=\"text\">Prioritising patients<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Dr Black said a number of different factors were to blame for the pressures being felt across the health service, including strep A, Covid-19, flu and respiratory viruses and vomiting bugs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a confluence of an extraordinary number of infections peaking at this time, all different things \u2013 we haven\u2019t seen anything like it before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cWe knew coming out of Covid it would be more difficult but we didn\u2019t expect this to be so severe.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">He said the situation has meant healthcare staff have been forced to prioritise patients.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cI think that\u2019s what we\u2019ll have to do for the next few months,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cWe don\u2019t have enough resources to see everybody with a sore throat or a cough \u2013 we\u2019re trying to make sure the most vulnerable and the sickest are being seen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 id=\"Shared-resource-\" class=\"ssrcss-y2fd7s-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\"><span role=\"text\">\u2018Shared resource\u2019 <\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The pressures facing Northern Ireland\u2019s health service have been well documented. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Earlier in December, the BBC News NI was given access to the emergency department at Belfast\u2019s Royal Victoria Hospital.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Staff said they were treating the acutely unwell in areas which were \u201covercrowded and undignified\u201d and a senior consultant likened the scenes to \u201cbattlefield\u201d medicine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">In August the British Medical Association warned almost 100 GP practices in Northern Ireland had sought emergency support or were in crisis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Dr Black said Wednesday is set to be \u201cthe busiest day we\u2019ve ever seen\u201d and warned people to only visit emergency departments in an emergency. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cIt\u2019s a shared resource,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"ssrcss-11r1m41-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">\u201cWe all pay for this through our taxation and we all understand you can\u2019t be pushing to the front of the queue because you\u2019ve got a sore toe \u2013 we have to look after the vulnerable people in our society, particularly today.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"links-block\" class=\"ssrcss-5i1hhv-LinksComponentWrapper e3eyuya0\">\n<section class=\"ssrcss-msolhr-LinksWrapper e3eyuya5\">\n<p><h2 class=\"ssrcss-q4zz1q-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-10bv2vf-EndOfContentLinksGrid e3eyuya2\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-547yr3-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nxco0v-Promo ett16tt0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-a0724v-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints e3z3r3u0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-xekq2n-PromoContent e1f5wbog7\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-17zglt8-PromoHeadline e1f5wbog4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Out-of-hours GPs struggle with hundreds of calls<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer ehnfhlg4\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner ehnfhlg2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper ehnfhlg3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-11kpz0x-Placeholder e16icw910\"><span><\/p>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A GP using a laptop computer while holding a stethoscope\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/_126372956_gpgetty.jpg\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ssrcss-evoj7m-Image ee0ct7c0\"\/><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-547yr3-PromoItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nxco0v-Promo ett16tt0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-a0724v-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints e3z3r3u0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-xekq2n-PromoContent e1f5wbog7\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1f3bvyz-Stack e1y4nx260\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-17zglt8-PromoHeadline e1f5wbog4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Hospital bed pressures \u2018worse than during Covid\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer ehnfhlg4\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner ehnfhlg2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper ehnfhlg3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-11kpz0x-Placeholder e16icw910\"><span><\/p>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Emergency Department Ulster Hospital\" 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!important;\n}\n\n]]><\/style>\n<style><![CDATA[\n\/* custom css *\/\n.tdi_118 .td-post-sharing,\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_118 .tdb-share-classic{\n\t\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\t}\n]]><\/style>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; &#13; &#13; It has been the most difficult Christmas on record for out-of-hours GP services, a senior doctor has said. Northern Ireland Chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Tom Black, said record numbers of patients were attending GP services. Dr Black said emergency departments have also been very busy. On Tuesday the Western [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1270785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1270784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1270784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1270784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1270784\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1270784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1270784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1270784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}