Tayside’s out-of-hours medical service experienced its busiest ever day during the festive shutdown.
The service helped more than 2600 patients during the four days practices were closed, with Monday its busiest day since the service began in 2004.
Dr Joyce Meikle, medical director of NHS Tayside’s out-of-hours service, said, “We saw quite a few people with viral gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea, with flu symptoms and coughs and colds.”
Checking the national notifications of flu and norovirus, Dr Meikle said, “You expect seasonal flu symptoms.
“At the moment we are not seeing levels that are in excess of what might be predicted.
“But often it’s into January before the flu comes.”
There was a network of primary care emergency centres and minor illness and injury units operating across Tayside during the four-day festive shutdown.
The busiest day was Monday, when 854 patients were in contact with the service.
“It was busy in all three areas, but in Perth and in Angus it was the busiest day we have ever had, and in Dundee it was our second busiest day,” said Dr Meikle.
On Monday 206 people attended the primary care emergency centre at Wallacetown in Dundee, and staff made 63 visits to patients in the city.
In Perth 170 people showed up at the care emergency centre and 54 patients were seen at home in the Perth and Perthshire area.
In Angus 173 people attended and 32 patients were visited at home.
A further 145 people across Tayside were given advice over the phone.
The quietest of the four days was Christmas Day itself, with 314 people seen by staff and a further 140 given advice over the phone.
In total over the four days 2607 people were in contact with the out-of-hours service.
The busiest day in Dundee for the out-of-hours service was December 27, 2008, when 391 patients were dealt with.
While family doctor surgeries re-opened for business on Wednesday, they will close again after business on December 31 for another four-day shutdown.