There are currently 4,650 GPs in the State, up from 4,200 in 2019, but Dr Quinlan estimates a need for 6,500 or more GPs in Ireland

Requirements for an additional 943 to 1,211 GPs by 2040 are projected, relative to a 2023 headcount of 3,928 GPs.

Solutions to overprescribing require a multifaceted approach, including timely access to suitable services for patients nationwide.

It comes as the country grapples with a surge in winter bugs and respiratory infections.

Sepsis is a life-threatening, abnormal immune response to an infection