GPs frustrated over testing in lead-up to lockdown

A survey of GP practices carried out by University of Auckland researchers in the lead-up to the latest COVID-19 lockdown showed doctors’ frustration as levels of testing for the virus declined.

Complaints included mixed messages on testing from health agencies – and doctors’ embarrassment when testing advocated by the government was limited by a lack of funding or equipment.
“This made us look incompetent when we were trying our hardest,” said one of 182 GPs, practice nurses, and practice managers surveyed between July 24 and August 6. Auckland’s cases of community transmission emerged just days after the survey closed.

Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences said, “This highlights a particularly important issue, it’s crucial now that there is very clear messaging about testing – accompanied by the criteria, resources and funding for getting it done.”

The survey, the latest in a series of four since Covid-19 emerged in New Zealand, showed 20 percent of practices had concerns about getting funding for testing. Only 7 percent of practices tested 40 or more patients – down from 28 percent in the previous survey, carried out in late June.
 

Comments from survey respondents included:
“What was said in stand-up daily press conferences didn’t necessarily reflect reality. The Prime Minister was telling everyone to get a test but we couldn’t do them due to criteria or funding or lack of equipment. This made us look incompetent when we were trying our hardest.”

“No appreciation from DHB, PHO, MOH, broken promises to support us financially, kept in the dark, constantly changing rules for testing, now Government is blaming us for not testing enough when it is their problem.’’

“Often media were reporting what was not yet known/confirmed at a practice level. For example, telling the population to be tested at their GP but not given general practice enough supplies to do so. Patients think you are lying to them as have been told to go and get tested.’’

“Good advice and direction from those higher up is required e.g. three weeks ago `stop testing’ and then two weeks ago `test more’.’’

“Has been harder to get people to take swabs. We have tried pushing the public health message and this has increased uptake a little but not nearly the same volumes we were doing prior to most recent criteria change for testing.’’

For more detail: Covid-19 Primary Care Survey