A COVID assessment centre was at "full capacity" by yesterday morning - with doctors told to find "alternatives" for ill patients with suspected symptoms.
The Irish News understands the Ballymena based GP-led facility for the Northern area has been hit by a spike in referrals for young children.
Run by the Dalriada Urgent Care (DUC) out-of-hours GP service, neither the centre's management nor the Health and Social Care Board were able to disclose how many patients attended the unit.
A memo was issued to GPs before 11am "advising" that the "Covid Centre has reached full capacity".
It added: "Please consider alternatives for any patients requiring a face to face assessment".
When asked what "alternative" arrangements they proposed given the current strain on A&E departments, particularly at Antrim Area Hospital, a board spokesman said: "If you feel unwell, there are a range of healthcare services available to help you. These range from self-care/pharmacy for minor ailments; GP services; Minor Injury Units and Emergency Services. Self-care is the best choice to treat minor illnesses, ailments and injuries.
"To be clear, if your case is an emergency, then you should go to a hospital Emergency Department without delay."
A statement issued on behalf of DUC added that their services "continue to be under significant pressure from patients with Covid-like symptoms".
"Medical and support staff are working hard to provide services in difficult circumstances. If a GP has concerns about a particular patient they should be encouraged to contact the Covid centre directly," it stated.
The development comes a week The Irish News revealed a surge in the number of under-fives being seen in the Beech Hall Covid Centre in Belfast, leading to restricted criteria for GP referrals and reduced staff hours.
While the overwhelming majority of young children assessed in the Belfast unit had no serious illness - with many having viral symptoms not linked to Covid - one child was recently admitted to ICU with the virus.
The DUC facility is one of 10 across Northern Ireland set up last year as part of emergency pandemic planning. No coronavirus testing is provided and patients can only be referred by their GP. They will either be admitted to hospital or sent home to self-isolate.
GP John McSparran, who is based in the Glens, said he has never referred a patient to a Covid centre and believes GPs should not have to cover centre shifts during a period of severe workforce shortages.
"You can’t keep people out of hospital with Covid because the reality is, you either need to go into hospital or you don’t. It’s as simple as that," he said.
"Covid centres were also seen as a great way to keep GP practices 'clean'...It's clear you can’t keep practices clean because a ferocious amount of people are asymptomatic."
The Department of Health last week confirmed it is considering 'decommissioning' the 10 specialist facilities - but said now is not the time due to the emergence of the Delta variant.
