Eight out of 10 doctors suffer attacks

Eight out of ten doctors are attacked in surgeries

Eight out of ten GPs in South Wales have been attacked, threatened or abused by patients in the past five years, according to a new report.

The medical newspaper Doctor has obtained details of an unpublished report by South Wales Police.

It highlights one incident in which a GP was slashed by a knife and another in which a doctor was threatened with an axe.

The newspaper said the report on these attacks had led to talks for safe havens for GPs to treat violent patients.

The National Assembly is set to approve the idea next week.

Drugs

South Wales Police, together with local medical committees and Bro Taf and Iechyd Morgannwg health authorities, surveyed 735 GPs.

There were more than 400 replies. Eight out of 10 GPs said they had experienced violent, abusive or threatening behaviour since 1995.

But only a quarter reported the incident to police.

Three out of four attacks occurred in surgeries. Most were triggered by drugs, patient personality or alcohol.

AM and GP Brian Gibbons - Drugs play a part

Cardiff GP Dr Charles Allanby was left scratched, bruised and badly shaken after he was attacked in his surgery.

He had gone to appease an unregistered patient who was demanding to see a doctor.

"He appeared to be acting strangely, so to try and defuse the situation I went to see him in the waiting area," said Dr Allanby, who was alone at the time except for some reception staff.

"I asked him what the problem was, and he just flew off the handle."

"I tried to lock myself in my consulting room, but he forced his way in before throwing me to the ground and scratching at my face and pulling off my glasses," Dr Allanby explained.

"Then he picked up the computer monitor and smashed it on the ground."

There's no doubt drugs play a part in what is happening

Brian Gibbons AM

Assembly Member for Aberavon Brian Gibbons, who is himself a doctor, blamed drug abuse for many of the attacks.

"There is no doubt drugs play a part in what is happening," he said.

The Assembly is to ask Welsh Health Secretary Jane Hutt to approve new powers to protect doctors and NHS staff from July.

The changes will allow GPs to be paid for running local development schemes for violent patients.

They will also stop patients who have been removed from a GP's list for violence or aggression automatically having the right to register with another practice nearby.