Essex GPs see rise in child illness this year
Rise in child illness linked to Covid-related delay in immune system development
Last updated 4th Dec 2022
GPs in Essex are seeing a significant increase in child appointments due to their immunities not being strengthened because of Covid lockdowns
The increase in demand from children has led to an uptick in demand for GP appointments.
In mid and south the number of GPs appointments went up from 2.93m between April and September 2021 to 2.98m between April and September 2022.
In northeast Essex the number of appointments increased from 981,000 to 1.01m. And in west Essex they increase from £725,000 to £762,000 in the same period.
Pam Greene, alliance director for Basildon and Brentwood CCG said:
“We have seen a marked increase for the 0 to fours, predominately, and the 0 to 10s, where their immune system have been significantly reduced in its development because they were not socialising at the point when their immunity was being coded.”
As the country approaches its first winter since the beginning of Covid (with social mixing and no restrictions) certain knock-on effects of lockdown are starting to show.
Ms Greene added that “there is a higher presentation of respiratory complications for children in that age group and more complications related with childhood illness. And when a child comes into primary care the response needs to be quick because they can deteriorate quite quickly – although they improve quite quickly. But from a risk perspective you must respond to that”.