Table 2. Comparison between community nurses' and doctors’ responses for their professional role in palliative care activities
Please state whether your role in the following areas of palliative care has changed during the COVID-19 pandemica
Community nursesGPsP valueb
Total387±95% CI (%)156±95% CI ( %)
Advance care planning
Doing less or a lot lessc24 (7.2%)4.6 to 10.14 (2.6%)0.6 to 5.3<0.0001
Stayed the samec154 (46.2%)40.4 to 51.849 (31.6%)24.7 to 38.9
Doing more or a lot morec155 (46.5%)40.9 to 52.2102 (65.8%)58.1 to 72.8
Total333155
Anticipatory prescribing
Doing less or a lot less7 (2.9%)0.9 to 5.43 (1.9%)0.0 to 4.50.82
Stayed the same98 (41.2%)34.1 to 48.265 (41.9%)34.3 to 50.0
Doing more or a lot more133 (55.9%)49.1 to 62.887 (56.1%)48.2 to 63.7
Total238155
Symptom management
Doing less or a lot less5 (1.4%)0.3 to 2.74 (2.6%)0.6 to 5.3<0.0001
Stayed the samec141 (38.3%)33.8 to 43.5108 (69.2%)62.0 to 76.4
Doing more or a lot morec222 (60.3%)55.0 to 65.044 (28.2%)21.0 to 35.4
Total368156
Support for family members and carers
Doing less or a lot less14 (3.7%)1.8 to 5.58 (5.1%)1.8 to 8.60.01
Stayed the samec116 (30.4%)25.9 to 35.273 (46.8%)39.5 to 54.5
Doing more or a lot morec252 (66.0%)61.2 to 70.575 (48.1%)40.4 to 55.5
Total382156
Bereavement support
Doing less or a lot less31 (8.5%)5.9 to 11.415 (9.7%)5.2 to 14.6<0.0001
Stayed the samec147 (40.5%)35.4 to 45.596 (61.9%)54.1 to 69.2
Doing more or a lot morec185 (51.0%)45.7 to 56.044 (28.4%)21.8 to 35.9
Total363155
Death verification
Doing less or a lot lessc11 (3.7%)1.7 to 6.059 (38.1%)30.5 to 46.1<0.0001
Stayed the samec98 (32.7%)27.0 to 38.169 (44.5%)36.6 to 52.7
Doing more or a lot morec191 (63.7%)58.1 to 69.627 (17.4%)11.7 to 23.5
Total300155
Death certification
Doing less or a lot less8 (9.5%)3.8 to 16.715 (9.7%)5.3 to 14.40.52
Stayed the same54 (64.3%)52.9 to 74.088 (57.1%)49.4 to 64.9
Doing more or a lot more22 (26.2%)17.4 to 35.851 (33.1%)26.2 to 41.0
Total84154
Palliative care for patients who do not have COVID-19
Doing less or a lot less9 (2.4%)1.0 to 4.16 (3.8%)1.2 to 7.2<0.0001
Stayed the samec129 (34.3%)29.8 to 39.1113 (72.4%)64.6 to 79.6
Doing more or a lot morec238 (63.3%)58.5 to 68.237 (23.7%)17.0 to 30.8
Total376156
Collaborative working with specialist palliative care teams
Doing less or a lot less52 (14.1%)10.5 to 17.721 (13.5%)8.6 to 19.4<0.0001
Stayed the samec148 (40.1%)35.3 to 45.392 (59.0%)51.0 to 66.5
Doing more or a lot morec169 (45.8%)40.7 to 50.743 (27.6%)20.7 to 34.9
Total369156
  • aThose who gave the responses, ‘not my role’ and missing responses were excluded from the analysis.bχ2 test.cPairwise Z-test with Bonferroni correction, significant at <0.05 level.