Table 2.

Summary of Thematic Findings on ‘Impact on Surgical Performance’.

Impact on Surgical Performance
- Technical Skill
○ No change in advanced trainees
“I'd say my technical is unchanged” (P15)
○ Negative Impact in earlier trainees
“My technical skill has gone down a lot as we aren't doing any operating – it's a use it or lose it type of skill” (P64).
- Cognitive Skill
○ Negative impact for thought processes
“My thought processes are a little bit slower because I'm not as sort of stimulated by adrenaline” (P15)
○ Negative impact for cognitive load in decision-makers
“Cognitive load has changed to sorting patients with the anxiety of new decision making – putting patients off who have cancer, risking surgery and COVID exposure for those with cancer” (P2)
- Affective skill
○ Reduced emotional lability to meet patient needs
“More anxiety on all fronts about losing track of patients, outcomes due to delayed surgery” (P2)
○ Reduced emotional lability due to reduced peer support
“We have also tried to reduce the number of staff members for safety reasons – but this has an impact on collegiality” (P61)
“Less interactions with colleagues which is difficult and can have a strain. It can feel quite lonely” (P64)