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15/10/2003
A third of doctors face violence in workplace, says survey
More than one in three doctors have experienced some form of violence over the last year and over half believe that violence was a problem in their workplace, according to BMA report published today.
The report, 'Violence: The Experience of UK Doctors', found that GPs and hospital workers said that working in A&E and psychiatry were more likely to report violence as a problem in their workplace – 90% of A&E doctors reported violence as a problem.
Seven-out-of-ten doctors surveyed had not received any training on how to deal with violence despite the fact that medical sites in the UK have been found to have the greatest risk of all workplaces for verbal and physical threats to staff.
As a result, the BMA has called for health care facilities to be designed with the prevention of violence in mind and a greater emphasis on regular and ongoing training for staff to deal with and diffuse potentially violent situations.
Dr John Garner, Chairman of BMA Scottish Council, said: "Threatening behaviour towards NHS staff by patients and their relatives is becoming a common problem for staff in all areas of the health service and some even consider violence to be an occupational hazard.
"It is unacceptable that health care professionals should be living with the fear of violence or that the threat of violence be an acceptable part of their job. It is no wonder we struggle to recruit and retain staff and unless there is a cultural change in behaviour, this will go from bad to worse."
(gmcg)
The report, 'Violence: The Experience of UK Doctors', found that GPs and hospital workers said that working in A&E and psychiatry were more likely to report violence as a problem in their workplace – 90% of A&E doctors reported violence as a problem.
Seven-out-of-ten doctors surveyed had not received any training on how to deal with violence despite the fact that medical sites in the UK have been found to have the greatest risk of all workplaces for verbal and physical threats to staff.
As a result, the BMA has called for health care facilities to be designed with the prevention of violence in mind and a greater emphasis on regular and ongoing training for staff to deal with and diffuse potentially violent situations.
Dr John Garner, Chairman of BMA Scottish Council, said: "Threatening behaviour towards NHS staff by patients and their relatives is becoming a common problem for staff in all areas of the health service and some even consider violence to be an occupational hazard.
"It is unacceptable that health care professionals should be living with the fear of violence or that the threat of violence be an acceptable part of their job. It is no wonder we struggle to recruit and retain staff and unless there is a cultural change in behaviour, this will go from bad to worse."
(gmcg)
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