In a 15 hour period last weekend the Westdoc telephone system received over 6480 calls.
GP contacts increased by almost 400% with Over 60% of calls for Covid testing.
Systems normally manned by 12 operators had up to 30 lines in operation and were unable to cope.
This resulted in very ill patients with non Covid complaints being unable to get help quickly.
Ken Egan who is the Chairman of the National Association of GP CoOps is calling on the Public to refrain from calling your local CoOp this weekend unless it is absolutely urgent and if Covid related to wait until your GP returns on Monday.
He says CoOPs were swamped last weekend with demands for referral for Covid testing and has been giving more details to Midwest News.
