GP Staff Endure Threats and Violence, Police Reports Reveal

Personnel at a general practice surgery were left in distress and compelled to contact law enforcement following incidents where irate patients issued threats and engaged in violent conduct. Dr Jennifer Loke, a nurse consultant employed at the East Yorkshire practice, recounted having to activate a panic button when a patient advanced on her, declaring, “If you don’t give me that prescription, I’m going to kill you”. Humberside Police has documented 411 instances of abuse directed at general practice personnel within the region since 2019. While the majority of these were verbal, the police force conducted investigations into assaults, one kidnapping, and six threats to kill. The British Medical Association (BMA) acknowledged that existing pressures might impede patients’ access to care, but emphasized that no individual should face the prospect of abuse in their workplace. Tom Park-Poulson, a practice administrator, stated that the “vast majority” of patient abuse occurred via telephone and typically arose when an immediate appointment or prescription was unavailable. A patient, denied an immediate appointment, “said he would come down to the surgery and ‘sort us out'”. Separately, another patient damaged a door by forcefully slamming it during an outburst of anger. On certain occasions, staff members have faced in-person threats and have had to summon police to escort patients from the premises, including one instance where a patient “refused to leave until a doctor came to see them there and then”. “We have had patients try to physically intimidate staff, we’ve had an incident of a team member being shoved in one of the clinical rooms,” Mr Park-Poulson further noted. He added, “Some colleagues have been brought to tears.” The statistics from the police encompass 19 instances where staff sustained assaults and injuries. Law enforcement officials also probed two reports of stalking, one kidnapping, and six threats to kill. One of the death threats was directed at Dr Loke, an academic doctor serving as a nurse consultant. Police informed her that a former patient had expressed they “wanted to kill me”. Consequently, a restraining order was issued. Dr Loke stated that while she was not intimidated by the specific incident, the cumulative effect of abuse was taxing. She commented, “It’s stressful enough to work in a surgery because you have to cope with a lot of complex issues and you need to maintain your cool with patients who are anxious and depressed.” She continued, “And yet you have all this in the background, so it’s quite distressing.” Dr Loke observed that the majority of patients she encountered were “good,” but noted a shift in attitudes attributed to an “on-demand” and consumer-driven culture. “Patients think they are customers with rights,” she explained. “They think they can just call the GP surgery and get antibiotics in the same way they go to McDonald’s and order an ice cream.” Dr Loke expressed concern that general practice was diminishing in appeal as a workplace. She voiced apprehension that this problem might begin to impact staffing levels and urged patients “to modify their behaviour for general practice to survive.” Brian McGregor, who chairs the BMA’s Yorkshire regional council, characterized the police statistics as “disappointing and concerning.” He asserted, “Even one incident of abuse against GPs and their teams is unacceptable.” “The current pressures and lack of staff can make it harder for our patients to get the care they need, but people must not take out their frustrations with the system on GPs and their staff – people who are often doing their best in difficult circumstances,” he added.