SouthDoc director says PCR system collapsed under weight of calls for tests

SouthDoc medical director Dr Gary Stack said the collapse of the system, which led to long delays for appointments, meant everyone's time was wasted.

More than 10,000 people have called the SouthDoc out-of-hours GP service looking for a PCR test in the last month.

Until Friday, anyone who suspected they had Covid-19 needed a PCR test to confirm this. However, as the online booking system buckled under spiralling numbers, many people turned instead to GPs, who could access a separate booking system.