The Lombard Medical Centre in Newark in explains the strains it's under as all areas of NHS remain in crisis

The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire heath and care system continues to face pressures with GPs continuing to see very high numbers of patients.

In order to help manage these pressures Lombard Medical Centre put out a message on Wednesday, January 11, informing patients that they would be prioritising patients deemed to be most vulnerable and at risk.

The planned EMAS strike action influenced this strategy as there was concern that this would have a further significant impact on services.

Practice manager Debbie Swain said the demand over the last few weeks and during the holiday season seemed to be caused mainly by the number of viral illnesses in circulation. These included influenza, strep A (scarlet fever), covid-19 and RSV.

She said: "We are hoping that we have turned a corner and that these viruses are reducing. However, we would still recommend caution and would encourage that patients have their flu vaccine if eligible.

"We would like to reassure our patients that we continue to work tirelessly to improve our services and look for new ways of safely managing the medical needs of our growing population.

"The public can help by; only calling 999 or attending A&E departments for serious accidents or emergencies, searching online for NHS 111 or dialling 111 from any phone if they are unsure of where they should go, considering using urgent treatment centres for things like sprains and strains, getting their flu and covid-19 jabs, using their local pharmacy for things like allergies, coughs and colds and calling the mental health crisis line on 0808 196 3779 if they are in mental health distress."