The NHS will cope with the coronavirus pandemic despite it being the biggest challenge the service has ever faced, a North East expert has said.
Dr George Rae, the British Medical Association’s (BMA) North East chair, said NHS staff and patients alike are “rising to the challenge” and reassured the public that “all the stops are being pulled out”.
Whitley Bay GP Dr Rae said his practice doors were locked this week after several incidents of patients “leaning over the counter towards the receptionists”.
He said most patients were currently being dealt with over phone or video consultations in a bid to keep the practice free of the virus.
“There are still patients who have got to come in to see a doctor and we accept that,” Dr Rae said.
“The main thing is to keep patients with Covid-19 symptoms out of the practice, so all patients are triaged.
“A lot of it can be done over the telephone, and we have set up video consultations.
“For patients that have to be seen in person we ensure it’s safe for them to come down.
“The system has been well received and patients understand the situation.”
The medic said the biggest problem for his and other GP surgeries was staff absences due to self-isolation, but that a rollout of testing kits would be a “massive step forward".
He added that practices are talking to each other in order to monitor “where Covid-19 is in the community”.
As NHS staff face a daily battle to keep the illness at bay, Dr Rae said he was hopeful the health service would be able to cope.
“The information that’s coming through from the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer is that things are going to get that bit worse over the next few weeks, but hopefully that will flatten out.
“I think patients are playing their part - the vast majority of people are following the advice about social distancing and are aware of the fact that we are trying to help them
“It’s not easy at the present time but we are managing to deliver the service.”
Dr Rae added: “There’s never been anything like this in the NHS before - it’s very tough, but all the stops are being pulled out.
“We’ve got the extra capacity, and it’s unbelievable how retired doctors and nurses have come back, students are coming in, and the numbers that have signed up to become NHS Volunteer Responders.
“I think that the NHS is rising to the challenge. This is the biggest challenge there has ever been in my career, but the NHS is rising to the challenge, and the public is rising to the challenge
“I think we will cope, we’ve got to cope.”
