Fighting to be heard: Thematic analysis of parent perspectives of safety in general practice

Purchase, Thomas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4504-2111, Quinn-Scoggins, Harriet ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6136-070X, McFadzean, Isobel J., Donovan, Lauren, Hope, Isabel, Clarke, Eleanor, Lifford, Kate J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9782-2080, Hodson, Nicholas, Beggs, Jillian, Rees, Philippa and Carson-Stevens, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7580-7699 2026. Fighting to be heard: Thematic analysis of parent perspectives of safety in general practice. British Journal of General Practice 10.3399/BJGP.2025.0651

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Abstract

Background: Children are particularly vulnerable to healthcare-associated harm. Parents play a vital but under-recognised protective role in paediatric patient safety. Parent perceptions of and contributions to safety improvement efforts within hospital settings are well documented, but little is known about parent experiences and perspectives in primary care. Aim: To explore diverse parental perspectives on paediatric safety in primary care and identify target areas for improvement. Design & Setting: A qualitative study was conducted through online (n=2) and in-person (n=2) workshops with parents, taking place between June and July 2024. Method: Workshops were structured around a descriptive analysis of paediatric patient safety incident reports in general practice. Parents discussed and reflected on their own experiences in relation to the findings. Thematic analysis of transcripts and field notes was conducted via NVIVO to identify key themes. Results: Thirty-three parents from varied backgrounds, including under-served communities, participated. Three major themes are described: (1) Responsibility of care, highlighting perceived unclear roles between parents and healthcare teams; (2) Navigating the system, where parents described the need to ‘fight’ for care and the challenges of understanding healthcare processes; and (3) Communication and language, emphasising the difficulties of being heard, especially among ethnic minority parents and those lacking the confidence to speak up. Conclusion: Parent perspectives on paediatric safety in primary care have highlighted key areas for practices, researchers and safety improvement teams to target system change and intervention development. Engaging parents as co-partners in these efforts could enhance trust, reduce risk, and improve safety outcomes for paediatric patients.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Medicine
Publisher:	Royal College of General Practitioners
ISSN:	0960-1643
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 April 2026
Date of Acceptance:	24 April 2026
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2026 14:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186696

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