IT is widely acknowledged that the health service is operating under intense pressure on a range of fronts, and our coverage today of challenges facing GP services provides a graphic illustration.
General practice is the first point of contact for most people experiencing health concerns and where many issues can be addressed without impacting on other parts of an overstretched system.
It has been clear for some time that this crucial primary care sector has been struggling to cope with demand.
There are 323 general practices across the north, an 8 per cent drop on the figure in 2014. In the same time patient contacts have increased significantly.
Concerns have previously been raised about GP shortages in rural areas, as closures and mergers of surgeries left areas like the village of Roslea in Co Fermanagh without a doctor for the first time in more than 100 years.
More recently the pressures have been apparent in towns and cities, with the out-of-hours Beldoc service covering north and west Belfast suspended for the first time this summer.
GPs in west Belfast have now told of their concerns about the age profile of doctors in the socially deprived area.
Some 15 of the 55 GPs are over 60, with some practices fearing they will have no-one to hand over to.
Younger doctors are concerned that if one or two practices are forced to close, there could be a domino effect as large numbers of patients have to be re-located elsewhere.
Last week health minister Robin Swann announced a package of up to £5.5 million to support GP services over the winter, including improved telephone and online systems to help meet demand.
He also pointed to the roll out of multi-disciplinary teams to support the work of doctors, reform of the out-of-hours service, and a review of trainee places.
The type of telephone triage forced on surgeries over the last 18 months has pointed to more efficient uses of resources, although face-to-face consultations will always be essential for some patient needs.
However, doctors say there have been failures in workforce planning, with recent increases in training numbers going to take some time to feed through.
Primary care services were already coming under increasing pressure before Covid struck and the legacy of pandemic will inevitably be patients presenting with more complex needs.
The warnings of doctors in west Belfast and elsewhere must be heeded if GP services, like other parts of the overburdened health service, are to avoid complete collapse.
