Northern Ireland

GP out-of-hours service in Belfast under 'considerable pressure'

The GP out-of-hours service in Belfast is under serious strain
The GP out-of-hours service in Belfast is under serious strain The GP out-of-hours service in Belfast is under serious strain

THE GP out-of-hours service in Belfast is under serious strain amid a surge in Covid cases and low staffing levels.

The Irish News understands that no doctors have been available for long periods over several weekends.

Staffing pressures have also hit other out-of-hours GP services, including Dalriada Urgent Care which provides a service to GP surgeries in the Northern Trust area.

In Belfast, several patients have reported delays of more than an hour before calls to the Knockbreda Centre, which covers the south and east of the city, were even answered.

Some patients were also advised that, due to a lack of GPs in the service, that they should visit the emergency department at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

A similar issue happened this month last year when there were gaps in the 'Beldoc' rotas that could not be filled and which led to its closure for periods.

A Belfast Trust spokesman said it was a "challenging time" for the service.

"Our GP out-of-hours service is facing considerable pressure at the moment due to increasing demand, the recent surge in Covid-19 cases and staffing challenges within the service," he said.

"We are working with our GP colleagues to ensure out-of-hours services are maintained but we do advise that call backs for non-urgent cases can be lengthy. We thank the public for their understanding at this challenging time.

"All calls to the service are graded by medical professionals and those in most need are treated as a priority."

Out-of-hours care in the Northern Trust area is also stretched.

A spokeswoman for Dalriada Urgent Care said: "Dalriada, like many other services, is under ongoing pressure and has contingencies in place to manage patients safely."

GP practices across Northern Ireland are under serious strain, with fewer practices forced to take on more patients.

Grove Medical Practice, at Grove Wellbeing Centre on York Road in north Belfast, is expected to hand back its contract to health chiefs later this year.

Earlier this month, a rural Co Tyrone GP practice with more than 5,500 patients was taken over by the Western Trust.

Dromore and Trillick Practice was taken over after it struggled to find a replacement for an outgoing doctor.

The Irish News revealed that GPs are being offered a rate of £1,000 per day if they can provide cover for the practice for two daily sessions on dates between this month and August.