Coronavirus: ‘Too many healthcare staff have to isolate due to lack of tests - when they want to be in work’

And it is imperative that frontline workers such as nurses and carers are given adequate personal protection equipment (PPE), she adds.

Dr Cassie Jamison of the Lewis Square Practise in east Belfast was speaking yesterday, where she was the only GP technically on duty as the other two have suspected Covid-19 symptoms.

“One of our GPs has had to self isolate for two weeks and the other has to from today [Friday],” she told the News Letter.

“So I am technically the only one that can be at work today. The problem is there is no testing that we can get hold of at the minute.”

Many other practises are also very short staffed with doctors, nurses and admin staff self isolating. Even doctors who are able to access a test will be taken off the front line if a family member has suspected symptoms as there are no tests for relatives.

“A lot of front line staff are having to isolate at the minute when they probably could be in work.” As a result, many GPs are concerned how the health care workforce is going to cope in the days ahead, she says.

The biggest change for her is assessing most daily patients by phone, which takes more time and is more challenging.

Initially there was a surge in calls from people worried about Covid-19. “Then there was an increase in people struggling with anxiety. Now we are beginning to see an increased number of calls of people who are symptomatic of Coronavirus.

“On Tuesday the Coronavirus centre in Belfast opened, and some GPs are working there as well as in their surgeries during the week.” If a patient is significantly unwell with Covid-19 type symptoms they should phone their GP who may then refer them on to the centre for an assessment, she notes.

While she has adequate PPE, for now, some sectors of carers passed over altogether. “Nurses and carers don’t seem to have been prioritised for PPE,” she notes.

The GP praised the general public for being so understanding of all the changes, though she asked them to be more understanding of pharmacies and allow 72 hours for non-urgent prescriptions.

Her final call will be familiar to all but is still critical: “I would just really ask people to continue to stay at home, and to maintain social distancing if it is absolutely essential they go out.”