Many respondents (n=252; 39.2%) reported a reduced nursing role as fewer face-to-face consultations were conducted and there was a scaling up of telehealth consultations by General Practitioners (GPs). The “decline in the number of patients attending the clinic ” and “decreased income of the business ” meant that there was a “lesser need for the nurse at the practice ”. “GPs actively encouraging patients not to come in, in preference of teleconferencing. Nurses cannot bill for video or phone consults ”. This highlighted the significant impact that funding changes had on the roles of health professionals within PHC.
In contrast, over half of respondents reported additional tasks being incorporated within the nursing role (n=337; 52.9%). Some respondents described an initial increase in hours of employment to prepare workplaces for an influx of patients by “writing policy, developing triage tool, educating staff, sourcing increased stock etc ”. For others the impetus to commence influenza vaccinations early were a major source of work. “If it weren’t for flu season I would have a significant loss of nursing tasks in my day’s work”. Other respondents identified that they were allocated additional tasks such as “cleaning, answering phone, doing receptionist tasks ”.