Background: While virtual care delivery has numerous advantages, it can also introduce safety risks and unintended consequences. Considering that it has become an integral part of today’s healthcare service, uncovering its unintended consequences is imperative to ensure patient safety.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify patient safety risks associated with virtual primary care, as well as strategies to mitigate these risks based on the perspectives of patients and healthcare providers.

Methods: Three focus groups were conducted followed by 26 semi-structured interviews with patients, carers and healthcare providers working in primary care. Data were analysed following a thematic analysis approach.

Results: A total of 42 participants took part in the study. Three main areas for patient safety risks associated with virtual primary care were identified, including suboptimal clinical decision-making, negative consequences for patients’ access to care, and worsening workload burden and exacerbating staff dissatisfaction. Strategies to mitigate these risks included providing information for patients, training triage personnel, making technical support available, standardising guidelines, setting up systems for feedback, improving continuity of care, communication, and safety netting.

Conclusions: Patients and providers now have a heightened awareness of the strengths and pitfalls of virtual care due to their increased familiarity with the use of virtual care technologies. Existing policies need to be updated and new ones devised to minimise risks associated with virtual care and support patient and provider workflows.