Campaign in West Yorkshire aims to reduce abuse of GPs and staff but doctor says more needs to be done

A health care partnership has launched a campaign aimed at reducing abuse of doctors and staff, amid fears they will leave the profession, adding to pressures at practices.
By Emma Ryan
Published 21st Mar 2022, 18:18 BST
Updated 21st Mar 2022, 18:20 BST

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) has introduced ‘leaving a gap’ to make people think about consequences of abusive behaviour and created a set of campaign images it hopes will make people see what would happen if there were gaps in medical care due to staff leaving.

It comes following unprecedented need for advice and appointments and a 15 per cent increase in demand compared with two years ago.

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Leeds-based GP Dr Amal Paul welcomed the campaign. He had his car damaged by a frustrated patient, received a threat to kill him if he didn’t prescribe undue medication, as well as criminal damage to the surgery door.

Leeds-based GP Dr Amal Paul welcomed the campaign after he had his car damaged by a frustrated patient, received a threat to kill him if he didn’t prescribe undue medication, as well as criminal damage to the surgery door. However, he says, more needs to be done to tackle the reasons patients are becoming frustrated.Leeds-based GP Dr Amal Paul welcomed the campaign after he had his car damaged by a frustrated patient, received a threat to kill him if he didn’t prescribe undue medication, as well as criminal damage to the surgery door. However, he says, more needs to be done to tackle the reasons patients are becoming frustrated.
Leeds-based GP Dr Amal Paul welcomed the campaign after he had his car damaged by a frustrated patient, received a threat to kill him if he didn’t prescribe undue medication, as well as criminal damage to the surgery door. However, he says, more needs to be done to tackle the reasons patients are becoming frustrated.
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He said: “Patients are not unduly abusive most of the time, on the other hand GPs don’t deserve it, we have to find the common ground to reduce that abuse. Nevertheless, it increases because patients see if they abuse doctors, nothing happens. The system is supportive of abusive patients and police are not interested.”

Reasons for patient frustration, Dr Paul added, were the lack of funding for staffing, the standard time allocated per appointment not being enough, and the ratio of GPs to patients being too much to cope with.

Related topics:West YorkshirePatientsLeeds