Who carries the cost of interruptions? A qualitative study of doctors in UK hospital outpatient departments

Background Hospital outpatient departments (OPDs) deliver specialist care at scale, under close scrutiny over waiting times. Interruptions are common in this setting and are linked to error. Little is known about how they cause harm, for whom, and under what conditions. Methods Qualitative study using focus groups and interviews with 42 doctors working in UK National Health Service OPDs (19 sessions, September to November 2025). Participants were purposively sampled by clinical experience and self-reported patient complexity. Data were analysed using the Framework Method, informed by Cognitive

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