‘Challenging but ultimately rewarding’ — lived experiences of Deep End Northern Ireland GPs: a qualitative study

Background Living in socioeconomically deprived areas is associated with shorter lives and worse health. GPs working in these areas face additional challenges compared with those in more affluent locations.

Aim To establish GPs’ motivation for working in these areas, to discover the challenges that GPs face, and to gain insights from GPs on potential improvements and changes.

Design and setting An interpretative phenomenological analysis was undertaken of GPs’ lived experiences of working in the most socioeconomically deprived practices in Northern Ireland (NI), which is the most deprived country within the UK.

Method Interviews were carried out with nine GPs to find out the challenges facing them, why they work in a Deep End area, and what suggestions, ideas, and solutions they have to improve patient care and GP experience at NI’s Deep End.

Results The challenges related to wider health service failures including the increased demand on GPs and feelings of powerlessness. Patient population challenges included ‘missingness’, late or crisis presentations, alongside the clinical difficulties of a highly ‘medicalised’ patient population, as well as the high prevalence of mental health problems. However, GPs choose to work in Deep End areas because the environments were seen as clinically stimulating and rewarding, as well as giving them feelings of belonging and fulfilling a duty to ‘their’ area. Improvements focused on providing more flexible access, increased mental health provision, and future training and recruitment, particularly around widening participation in medical school.

Conclusion Improving the environmental conditions, empowering individuals, and investing in communities are essential factors to achieving health. The current model of providing reactionary acute care is leading to GPs experiencing powerlessness and feelings of helplessness at the Deep End.