Practices have been urged to focus on “clinical prioritisation” amid multiple challenges as the NHS struggles with the Omicron surge.

GPs are their staff are now “bracing for impact,” GP leader Dr Farah Jameel warned yesterday. It came as a national shortage of PCR testing left practices unable to certify staff as fit for work.

This is aggravated by a failure to supply FFP2 or FFP3 masks to practices, according to Dr Jameel, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee. In a tweet, she said: “It’s dark out there, you’re doing your best, focus on clinical prioritisation.”

A similar warning was issued by GP leaders in Northern Ireland’ BMA regional chair Dr Alan Stout told the BBC: “The next few weeks are going to be very tough both in general practice and in hospitals.”

Royal College of GPs regional chair Dr Laurence Dorman said: “We would urge the public to be patient as GP colleagues prioritise the most urgent clinical need.” He said there was “huge demand and ongoing pressures relating to Covid-19 and the delivery of the booster campaign”.

The UK yesterday reported 183,037 new cases of infection. Just 57 new deaths were reported from COVID but the number of patients in hospital with the virus passed 10,000, reaching 10,462. The data showed 1,751 admissions of infected patients on Tuesday. Similar surges of infections were reported in other countries. The USA reported 465,670 new cases – and also 1,777 deaths – and France 208,099 with 184 deaths.