Table. 2.

Summary of the key qualitative results

Themes	Sub Themes	Quotations
Importance of Teamwork	Functionality of Interventional Radiology	“Didn't necessarily get busier but more work involved in the patients that came down” “Some days are busier than others. Its busy with code strokes but not busy due to less patients presenting to hospital for treatment unless they have to” “More cleaning, more consideration of transporting patients from wards”
	Staff shortages	“Pressure from staffing levels has been extremely difficult.” “Fewer staff due to COVID-19 infections or self-isolation”
	Shared experience	“The core principle of Interventional Radiology is team.” “A sense of camaraderie, that everyone's going through the same thing at the moment.” “Everybody just worked together as much as they could to get as much done as we could” “I would say that the team and the camaraderie was important, like I felt that our radiology service manager was exceptional. So that said, there was faith. You know everybody had faith in that leadership”
Physical Demand	Increased workload	“Namely stroke presentation and thrombectomies increased” “Despite reducing elective [cases] the amount of acute vascular work had skyrocketed” “More work involved in setting up the rooms and cleaning the rooms post procedure” “Extra cleaning to be done after every patient”
	Lead aprons and PPE	“There was many times where like we were fully in PPE for three hours including leads. I think that was an extra demand which I don't think that the other Radiographers would have experienced” “If it is a particularly long procedure, you know it can get very claustrophobic”
	Physical aches, pains and falls	“At the end of the day, you're just not even mentally drained but physically drained as well.” “We had two staff members fall during procedures due to fatigue and long periods of concentration”
Mental Impact	Work/Life balance	“It's well and good trying to look for support, but like if you actually don't have time to get the support, you know that's very hard as well” “With gyms closed, exercise became more challenging you know, So that that was a result of work and fatigue and lockdown.” "It became important to set yourself in routine even like sleep wise just to make sure that you can function on a day to day basis” “Simply no time for friends outside of work”
	Anxiety and Fear	“With the amount of work, we do and the type of patients we see like it does [take] a mental toll on you, especially like when you see like patients coming back and they're just getting sicker and sicker.” “Much more mentally fatigued in the second wave” “Witnessing other staff members mental health suffer as a result of increase of workload, fear and tiredness has been difficult” “As a carer for an elderly parent I worry about passing it to her”
	Social Isolation	“You kind of almost become immune to the situation” “Extremely vulnerable partner, found it very stressful and essentially lived apart” “(Isolation) would have phased you at the start, your just used to it now and you just kind of get on with it like the procedures and stuff, they have to be done. Patients have to get their care.”