The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Role of Primary Care in Nelson-Tasman, New Zealand
Open Access Depositeda. Institute regular planning – locally, and regionally spanning business continuity and clinical care. b. Improve physical infrastructure of practices including building plant, ventilation and technology. c. Prepare workforce through regular training and simulation. 2. At the regional and national health systems level
a. Grow the primary care and ancillary workforce. b. Embed sustainable financing for primary care. c. Improve supply chains for medicines and PPE and develop policies and procedures for fair distribution and access. d. Plan strategic communication including pathways to update, collate and disseminate. e. Invest in relationship development especially locally and plan governance and accountability. f. Consider how commissioning policies, especially around contracts, can facilitate rapid development and initiation of programs and clinical services. The findings of this research are of use to policymakers and practitioners as they relate to preparedness for future pandemics. In view of the current reforms underway, these research findings may be relevant for the future of primary care services in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
The Covid-19 pandemic was unprecedented in its impacts worldwide. In primary care, the first point of contact for health care delivery in New Zealand, it had a profound impact on the model of care and generated a number of new roles and tasks. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic in primary care and understand the barriers and enablers to the pandemic response in primary care services in the Nelson-Tasman region of New Zealand. To do this a phased scoping review was undertaken. Phase one describes the environment and context of Covid-19 in New Zealand and maps the key policies relating to the delivery of primary care in New Zealand during the pandemic. Phase two reviews the peer-reviewed literature on how primary care services have adapted in response to Covid-19 in Australia and New Zealand, including new roles and responsibilities. In phase three, key informant interviews with primary care practitioners and leaders in the Nelson-Tasman region provided an adjunct to the scoping review and outlined the barriers and enablers that participants perceived in delivering high quality primary care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Synthesis of the results of the scoping review, and key informant interviews allowed for the articulation of barriers and enablers to optimizing the primary care response, to fulfill the aim of identifying those generalizable to pandemics/epidemics. Key findings comprise a description of roles and responsibilities undertaken by primary care, including the establishment of testing and vaccination centers, the infection control practices and procedures employed in primary care and articulation of key challenges faced over the response including communication and the implementation of telehealth. Key government policies, for example vaccine mandates for primary care workers is discussed. Congruent with the aims of a scoping review, research gaps and opportunities are identified. Triangulation of findings across the scoping review identifies potential modifications to the conceptual framework, and the following recommendations are made to address the policy and practice implications of this research
1. At the practice level
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