Restructuring in a GP practice during the COVID-19 pandemic - a focus-group study.

BACKGROUND

Outside the cities, the medical services in the municipality are often centred around one GP practice. The local medical service is key to the municipality's healthcare preparedness. We wished to investigate how the healthcare personnel perceived the restructuring at their GP practice during the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, and the factors that facilitated and impeded the process.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The article is based on a focus group interview that was conducted with eight nurses and medical secretaries at Otta GP practice in June 2020. The interview was transcribed and analysed using systematic text condensation.

RESULTS

The informants described a chaotic and demanding situation, in which they had to deal with their own as well as the patients' fears. They found crisis management to be difficult in a situation where the leadership in the municipality were unaware of the challenges of the GP practice. Lack of guidelines from the authorities at the start of the outbreak gave rise to considerable uncertainty. Through collaboration and flexibility, the practice arrived at new ways of working in order to safeguard its running. This gave a strong feeling of coping and fellowship, and a greater awareness of the informants' own importance in the front line of crisis management.

INTERPRETATION

The study elucidates the role of support staff in the face of a crisis for the GP practice. Competent employees with the latitude and tools to tackle the challenges quickly guided the practice from chaos to a new type of working day. The municipality could have supported the process by ensuring the necessary resources and general guidelines for prioritisation of tasks.