The evolution of patient-reported safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic within a series of study questionnaires: a multi-method analysis (29 April 2025)

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on healthcare systems globally, with potential to aggravate levels of healthcare-associated harm. Due to radical changes within service provision, this period was considered likely to influence patient-reported safety concerns. This study aimed to characterise the nature of these safety concerns at different time periods after the first UK lockdown.

Content

The most frequently reported safety incidents involved access to healthcare professionals (12 months/18 months), and errors managing healthcare appointments (24 months).

Prominence of themes fluctuated over time, as the context and policies that influenced the safety reports shifted. For example, geographical limitations on healthcare were evident at 12 months, mitigation from healthcare-associated harm by family members at 18 months, and concerns surrounding healthcare professional and other patient’s behaviour at 24 months.

Healthcare organisations are undoubtedly still undergoing a protracted period of recovery. However, to protect health services from any further threats to functioning, organisations must review patient safety data systems and examine staff perspectives on the issues identified, notably in relation to infection control policies, social distancing, and patient access to health services. Learning from patient-reported experiences and considering how safety incidents are defined would support improvements in patient safety.