Abstract
BackgroundWith a continued crisis of increasing workload and reduced workforce in general practice, supporting resilience is a key strategy for sustaining the profession into the future.AimHow do GPs perceive professional resilience, and what workplace factors influence it?Design and settingA UK-based qualitative study of the perspectives of GPs currently practicing in mainly urban locations across the UK with ≥5 years’ experience after completion of GP training.MethodParticipants were recruited using convenience sampling, which included social media forums, and underwent semi-structured interviews undertaken in May and June 2020 (n = 27). Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants offered definitions of and influences on resilience that largely fit with existing research, but in addition, may result in the perception that GPs are obstructive, or that resilience may be a ‘surface act’. GPs agree that the current focus on methods of improving resilience does support them, but there is significantly more to be done in this field. Social media activity aiming at GP support may be counterproductive. Reduction of clinical working hours is a common strategy to improve resilience.ConclusionThat GPs feel to improve resilience they need to work fewer clinical hours may have huge implications for a workforce already in crisis, and ultimately, for the health care of the UK population. Urgent research is needed to formulate a bespoke assessment for measuring GP resilience to assess potential interventions, and to identify GPs at risk of mental ill-health or leaving the profession.
Highlights
General practice in the UK is facing a crisis.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] While patients remain highly satisfied with the care they receive, satisfaction with access to GPs has steadily declined.[9]
National objectives have changed in their language from ‘extra GPs’ to ‘extra primary healthcare professionals’, perhaps acknowledging the lack of a ‘magic GP tree’
Summary Resilience in GPs could be presented as a model of job demands and resources;[39] all jobs have characteristics that can be classified as either demands or resources
Summary
General practice in the UK is facing a crisis.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] While patients remain highly satisfied with the care they receive, satisfaction with access to GPs has steadily declined.[9] The number of full-time equivalent GPs per head of population is falling.[2,5,8,10] a higher head count of GPs11 indicates a rise in less than full-time working patterns for clinical practice hours. The UK government has endeavoured to address workforce shortages, plans to recruit >5000 permanent GPs to practice by 2020 have resoundingly failed.[11] National objectives have changed in their language from ‘extra GPs’ to ‘extra primary healthcare professionals’, perhaps acknowledging the lack of a ‘magic GP tree’.12,13. With a continued crisis of increasing workload and reduced workforce in general practice, supporting resilience is a key strategy for sustaining the profession into the future
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