Fears voiced over penicillin shortage in Northern Ireland

That is according to the head of an organisation representing local pharmacists, who told the News Letter the shortages are being caused by a "run" on certain medicines alongside wider supply problems for a host of other drugs.

The chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland, meanwhile, said patients are being encouraged to travel if Strep A prescriptions can't be found nearby.

This comes amid growing concern about the number of serious infections linked to Strep A, and follows the death of several children across the UK - including five-year-old Stella-Lily McCorkindale in Belfast, whose funeral takes place next week.

The concerns raised by Community Pharmacy NI chief executive Gerard Greene, and Dr Tom Black of the BMA, stand in stark contrast to comments from the Health Secretary Steve Barclay who insisted on Wednesday there is no shortage of antibiotics.

The Belfast Trust, meanwhile, last night postponed all routine procedures at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children following an increase in children with infections.