A third of British doctors attacked at work

The Guardian reports:

One in three doctors has been physically or verbally attacked at work in the last year, but most did not report it, a survey reveals today.

One in 10 was physically attacked, including being stabbed, kicked, punched, bitten or spat on. Of these, a third suffered minor injuries but one in 20 was seriously hurt.

Most doctors who were attacked did not report it to police. The British Medical Association (BMA) said it was concerned that indicated an increasing acceptance of violence.

"These are worrying figures - both in terms of the potential numbers involved and the fact that so few doctors tend to report violence," said Dr Hamish Meldrum, the BMA chairman.

"We hope this is not because they feel the problem is not being taken seriously.

"Ministers have repeatedly stated there should be zero tolerance to violence of any sort in the NHS. We heartily agree. The mechanisms must be there to minimise the likelihood of attacks, to support staff who experience them, and to ensure that anyone who commits an act of violence is dealt with appropriately."

Attacks most commonly happened when patients were frustrated with waiting times or angry at a refusal to prescribe medication.

Socialism isn't known to produce happy customers.