GP views on strategies to cope with increasing workload: a qualitative study

Journal article

Background: The existence of a crisis in primary care in the UK is in little doubt. General Practitioner morale and job satisfaction are low, and workload is increasing. In this challenging context, finding ways for GPs to manage that workload is imperative.
Aim: To explore what existing or potential strategies GPs describe for dealing with workload and their views on relative merits.
Design and setting: All GPs working within NHS England were eligible. Of those who responded to advertisements, a maximum variation sample was selected until data saturation was reached. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted. Data were analysed thematically.
Results: 171 GPs responded, and 34 were included. Four main themes emerged for workload management: patient-level, GP-level, practice-level and systems level strategies. A need for patients to take greater responsibility for self-management was clear, but many felt that GPs should not be responsible for this education. Increased delegation of tasks was felt to be key to managing workload, with innovative use of allied health care professionals and extended roles for non-clinical staff suggested. Telephone triage was a commonly used tool for workload management, though not all participants found this helpful.
Conclusions: This in-depth qualitative study demonstrates an encouraging resilience amongst GPs. They are proactively trying to manage workload, often with innovative local strategies. However they do not feel that they can do this alone and called repeatedly for increased recruitment and increased investment in primary care.

Authors: Fisher, R; Croxson, C; Ashdown, H; Hobbs, F

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Royal College of General Practitioners
• Journal: British Journal of General Practice
• Volume: 67
• Issue: 655
• Pages: e148-e156
• Publication date: 2017-01-26
• Acceptance date: 2016-08-17
• DOI: 10.3399/bjgp17X688861
• EISSN: 1478-5242
• ISSN: 0960-1643
• Keywords: general practice; qualitative research; general practitioners; workload; primary health care