Rhondda GP surgery cancels all routine appointments as cases of Strep A and illnesses rise

People living in Porth who need to see a GP will not be able to, unless it is classed as an emergency.

Pont Newydd Medical Centre said it has cancelled all routine face-to-face and telephone appointments due to "unprecedented pressure" caused by Strep A and other winter illnesses.

It added that emergency appointments will continue.

In the comment section of their Facebook post, the practice manager said the number of children the team are seeing has "skyrocketed."

On Monday, the Welsh Ambulance Service declared it could not keep up with demand following a record-breaking weekend of calls to emergency services.

More than 2,000 emergency 999 calls were also made which were 17% higher than last week and there was a 300% rise in calls to the 111 service.

Last week it was confirmed there was a rise in reported infections of scarlet fever.

Cases went up from 39 to 150 in just three weeks across Wales.

Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, it is highly infectious and in very rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause strep A - which can be life-threatening.

Public Health Wales issued advice and added the risk to children remains "very low."

Symptoms of Strep A:

• Fever (a high temperature above 38°C)

• Severe muscle aches

• Localised muscle tenderness

• Redness at the site of a wound

Parents who suspect their child has symptoms of scarlet fever are advised that they should:

• Make sure their child takes the full course of any antibiotics prescribed by the doctor

• Keep their child at home, away from nursery, school or work

• Follow any guidance provided by their GP on how long they should remain absent from these settings