HEALTH chiefs in Hertfordshire have signalled that – with winter approaching – GP practices in the county including Hitchin are already 'under huge and significant pressure'.

Access to GPs was just one of the issues highlighted to a meeting of the county's health scrutiny committee, during a discussion of 'winter pressures' on the NHS.

Committee members heard that the number of phone calls being made to GP surgeries across has increased by 80 per cent since the start of the pandemic, including to Regal Chambers on Bancroft in Hitchin.

It was said that with increases in Covid infection locally, infection rates amongst staff and an ongoing 'struggle' with workforce availability are also impacting.

Nevertheless, they were told that GPs are already seeing half of all their patients face-to-face – and taking measures to increase that further.

Speaking at the meeting, managing director of the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group David Evans stressed that GP practices had remained open throughout the pandemic.

And he said GPs had heard the message that patients wanted to see them face-to-face.

He even pointed to one Hertfordshire surgery that had set up an outdoor tent as a safer space for patients to be seen, as one of the measures GPs were taking to offer face-to-face appointments.

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But with continuing need for 'infection control' he said the tradition of patients 'collectively unwell in a waiting room' was high risk.

And he said they would be promoting the 'Think 111 first' approach.

"At the moment 50 per cent of appointments are face to face and 50 per cent are online or via phone, " he said.

"Telephone triage is used to make sure the right person is in the right place to be seen."