General practice was an important place for individuals seeking help for domestic abuse and violence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study has found.

Researchers, led by Dr Elizabeth Emsley, of Bristol Medical School, sought to understand the patient perspective of seeking and receiving help for domestic abuse and violence (DVA) in general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. They then compared their experiences with those of general practice healthcare professionals. The findings are published in the British Journal of General Practice.

The team carried out semi-structured interviews with 21 patients affected by DVA and 13 general practice healthcare professionals who had received IRIS+ training, an integrated primary care DVA system-level training and support intervention. They found patients had positive experiences of seeking help for DVA in general practice during the pandemic, although there have been perceived problems with the availability of general practice and a strong preference for face-to-face consultations, over remote consultations, for the opportunities of non-?verbal communication.

There were also concerns from healthcare professionals regarding the invisibility of children affected by DVA. The also said while trying to support patients affected by DVA, they had to adjust quickly to new ways of working, including uncertainty regarding their future working practices. Although there was a strong motivation to keep DVA in mind, there were competing pressures, with one healthcare professional telling the researchers: “We’re trying desperately to deal with the physical, the COVID that is going on, the massive mental health that is going on. We’ve just got to keep remembering.”

Dr Emsley said perspectives of patients and their families affected by DVA should be prioritised in general practice service planning, including during periods of transition and change. She said while the incidence of DVA increased during the pandemic, there has been a reduction in DVA identifications and referrals to specialist services from general practice.

“General practice is an important place for patients experiencing or perpetrating domestic abuse, and their children, to seek and receive help,” she said. “During the pandemic, general practice rapidly transitioned and adapted to remote care during a time of significant uncertainty. In the general practice response to domestic abuse, patients valued a flexible, time-efficient response, as well as continuity of care. This study also highlights that children affected by DVA are a vulnerable group, including during the pandemic and strategies to support them in primary care are essential.”