GPs across the area have seen demand for services increase significantly in the space of twelve months.

The rise in demand has left appointment slots at many practices fully booked for weeks in advance, leading doctors to ask people in need of care to remain patient as staff work to see people as quickly and as safely as possible.

Last month, professionals in the region carried out a total of 388,391 primary care appointments, which is a 73 per cent increase on the 223,951 appointments that took place during May 2020.

At a time when surgeries are juggling the continuation of every day care as well as the roll-out of the Coronavirus vaccine, practices offer a mix of in-person and remote consultations, as has been the case throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Those needing support for minor illness and injury are encouraged to make use of the vast number of community pharmacies to provide consultations and recommend effective treatments.

People can also find health and care advice through the NHS 111 service.

Visiting 111.nhs.uk or calling 111 allows people to receive help based on their individual symptoms and, where appropriate, can result in individuals being directed to other local services, such as urgent treatment centres and

out-of-hours GPs.

Help for issues relating to mental health, such as depression and anxiety, can be found through the NHS talking therapy services, which is available at:

nhs.uk/talk.