Bristol GP describes 'steep crisis' healthcare system faces following vaccination targets

• Watch GP Dr Simon Bradley discuss the pressures facing his medical practice

A GP from Bristol has spoken of the pressures his practice will face in light of the government's new Covid vaccination targets.

On 13 December, The Prime Minister announced an acceleration of the booster rollout, which aims for every adult to receive their third dose by the end of the year.

Doctor Simon Bradley, has been part of the vaccination effort at Concord Medical Centre since the start of the pandemic and has said doctors have tried hard to balance this alongside routine and face-to-face appointments.

He described the the government's targets as "challenging" but says him and his team are "committed and going to go the extra mile".

Today (13 December) Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said GP's will focus on vaccinations and urgent care, with routine appointments postponed until the new year.

Doctor Bradley said the medical centre will have no choice but to delay some appointments. He said: "I think we are going through a very steep crisis at the moment and we will have to prioritise what we do over the next three or four weeks to make sure we aren’t overwhelmed.

"That's the risk - that this tsunami of work will sweep us away, so if we can get people vaccinated first it helps keep our service more sustainable.

"It will be difficult few weeks but we will be better at dealing with it if we’ve all had our vaccinations and had our booster."

Dr Bradley said things such as sick notes and sexual health matters are examples of medical issues that can be suspended or delayed until the new year in order to achieve the government's targets.