EXCLUSIVE: Year-on-year rise in verbal abuse of GP staff reported to Leicestershire Police
There have already been 70 cases in 2021/2022 - up from 30 in 2017
Last updated 31st May 2022
After Oakham Medical Practice closed its reception due to verbal abuse of staff, Greatest Hits Radio can exclusively reveal there have been more than double the cases reported to Leicestershire Police since before the pandemic.
Our freedom of information request to Leicestershire Police shows there's been a consecutive increase in the number of verbal abuse cases directed at GP staff reported to police year-on-year for the past 5 years.
This year alone, there have already been 70 incidents referred to the force - an increase of 40 in 2017.
Reported crimes to Leicestershire Police involving verbal abuse towards staff of a medical practice:
- 2017/18: 30
- 2018/19: 48
- 2019/20: 55
- 2020/21: 57
- 2021/22: 70
'frequently I've got staff in tears due to abuse'
Dr Grant Ingrams, from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland's Local Medical Committee recently came out in support of Oakham Medical Practice's decision to close it's reception due to verbal abuse directed at staff.
'I'm on one level, obviously appalled, but on another level it just fits with figures that we've already seen. We know that the majority of practices are seeing abuse from patients almost on a daily basis. It's quite harsh to see it in black and white that it's over doubled since before the pandemic to now.'
'We have lost two members of staff who have quoted abuse by patients as one of the main reasons as to why they have left, and we have to deal with that on a regular basis. Frequently I've got members of staff in tears because of abuse from patients and their relatives and carers, and talking to colleagues that's the same across the country.'
The problem and solution
Dr Ingrams says he understands patient concerns, but their grievances shouldn't be directed at local medical practices that are doing all they can.
'Patients are becoming frustrated because they can't get services when they think that they need them. At the same time they have been wound up, they have been made to believe by misinformation by parts of the press that GPs haven't been working, that they've not been seeing patients face to face - all of which is eminently untrue.'
'We need patients to be more patient - we need more patient patience. We want them to understand that we know they are frustrated. We are frustrated as well. General practices are working at the highest that they can do - there's no more that we can give. So the solution has got to come from the government.'
A Department of Health and Care spokesperson said:
“Deliberate violence or abuse directed at NHS staff, who work tirelessly to provide care, is unacceptable.
"We have provided £5 million of funding for general practices to invest in extra security measures such as CCTV, panic buttons and screens at reception, while the NHS violence reduction programme aims to protect staff and ensure offenders are punished quickly and effectively."
“The government has also passed legislation to double the maximum sentence for assaults on emergency workers, including in the NHS.”