GP says 'hot sites' are allowing medics to manage some virus cases without sending patients to hospital

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A GP working at a coronavirus ‘hot site’ in Bradford told ITV News that medics are caring for some patients with symptoms of Covid-19 at specialist drive-by centres.

Bradford and the surrounding areas have more than 200 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Four 'hot sites' have been set up in the area, which are designed to assess patients who have potential virus symptoms but are not unwell enough to need hospital treatment.

Speaking from one of the sites, Dr Amir Khan said he had seen a variety of potential cases in his day in the hot site.

He said: "I have seen already people with asthma, whose asthma is getting really bad, a little baby who was short of breath and a chap who was very unwell with chest pain and shortness of breath.

"We have managed to sort all of them out here without the need to send them into hospital."

When people arrive at the car park of the site, they are met, at a 2-metre distance, by a receptionist wearing a face mask. They are then brought into his office to be assessed.

He said: “I won’t lie it is a bit nerve-wracking working in a red site because every patient potentially has coronavirus and can infect us.

“We do take the necessary precautions but that is always in the back of your mind, but at the forefront is your need to help people is more important.”

“We’ve all got to do our bit in the NHS and I think that is one of the beautiful things about this country.”